Obituary of Lester R Stanley

Lester R. Stanley, 86, beloved husband of the late Mary (Penny) Prendergast Stanley, following a brief illness, passed away peacefully on Easter Sunday, April 24 at his Peabody home accompanied by his loving family members. Born and raised in Danvers, he was the son of the late George Frederick and Yvonne (Charest) Stanley and stepson of the late Joseph A Fraser. He was a long time resident of Saugus where he was a member of St. Margaret’s Parish. Lester moved to Lynn in 1990 when he married his cherished Penny. He was a member of St. Pius Parish in Lynn for twenty years before moving to Peabody last fall. Upon graduating from Danvers Holten High School, class of 1942, he enlisted in the United States Navy. As a Naval Aviation Cadet he completed several service schools across the country including flight training in New Hampshire during the winter of 1942-1943 in an open cockpit bi-wing P 17 “Yellow Peril.” He served out his enlistment as a Special Artificer 2nd class at Pensacola Naval Base, FLA, where he prided himself on beating Ted Williams at horse shoes, one game out of three. Along with an honorable discharge Lester was awarded the American Theatre Ribbon, WWII Victory Medal and a Good Conduct Medal. He then returned to the family home in Lynn, then Saugus and embarked upon a lengthy career as a self-employed plumbing contractor. During semi-retirement he worked part-time for the Lynn Public Housing Authority. Mr. Stanley had a life-long interest and appreciation for academics and the classics, opera and literature. As an adult learner he attended Harvard Extension College for eleven years, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy in 1974 at the age of 50, for which State Representative Beldon Bly sponsored a citation before the Massachusetts House of Representatives recognizing Mr. Stanley as “Being the only Harvard Graduated Master Plumber in the Universe.” Mr. Stanley is survived by a brother, G. Fred Stanley and his wife Rae of Lynn, three sisters, Pauline (Stanley) Doten of Grafton, NH, Dorothy A. Fraser and Rosalie J. (Fraser) Delorey and her husband Richard, all of Peabody, and two step sons, Anthony and Eric Rigol of Lynn. He is also survived by three granddaughters, Danielle, Lindsey, and Kirsten Rigol of Nahant, and by many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. He was the brother of the late Walter G Stanley of Lynn, Edward Stanley of Salem, and Robert Fraser of Saugus, Hazel Spinale of Peabody and Irene Cotraro of Beverly Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday from 6:00 until 8:00 PM at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St., Peabody to which relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday at 10:30 AM at St. Pius the V Church, 215 Maple St., Lynn. Burial will follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery 134 Broadway, Lynn. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701 or to Hospice of the North Shore of Greater Boston, 75 Sylvan St., Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923.