STANLEY, Loras Mary

The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona Monday, July 7, 2003 Loras Mary Stanley, 85, passed away peacefully at home on July 1, 2003. She has been reunited in heaven with her parents, brother and sisters, her husband Bob of 50 years and her beautiful daughter, Lorene. The youngest of four children, Loras was the only child not to be born or raised on the family farm in Rudd, Iowa. Born in Nora Springs, she would spend her young childhood years in the mayor's mansion assisting him, her father, in any and all duties her first six years. His job as mayor only paid one dollar a year. No longer wanting to return to farm life, Dad moved the family to Phoenix in 1923. Little Loras would continue her "role" in government by walking to the Capitol Building and presenting a weekly "mud pie" to a receptive Governor Hunt. She graduated from Phoenix Union High School and attended Business College. Her first clerking job would be for a new 20 bed hospital, Good Samaritan of Phoenix. Married in 1940, Loras would have to raise her new baby boy, Bob with the help of her parents while her husband fought WWII in the Pacific from the deck of a navy ship. After the war, she would become involved with a new company that was going to produce a "picture magazine" of the State. It would be called Arizona Highways. Together they would raise their two boys Bob and Tom while living in the small apartment behind the garage of her mother's house, saving money to build her dream house a few blocks away. Daughter, Lorene would be born on move-in day and son, Jim would arrive two years later just days before his sister's birthday. They would become best friends. Loras is survived by her three boys, Bob, Tom and Jim; two daughter-in-laws, four grandchildren; three great grandchildren with two more on the way; nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held, Tuesday evening, July 8, 2003 from 7-8PM, at Mercer Mortuary, 1516 E. Thomas Rd. Graveside service will be the following day, 12PM, Wednesday, July 9 at Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery, 2300 W. Van Buren. We will all miss her.