Stanley Lee Spaulding

Lt. Colonel Stan Spaulding, 76, died Wednesday, April 12, 2007. Son of Earl Stanley and Elsie Mae (Wixson) Spaulding. Stan lived life to the fullest. Born in Clearwater, FL, he moved to Indiana at age 3. After a childhood spent in Marion, IN, as an introspective young man with wide and varied interests, he decided to major in Chemical Engineering at Purdue University. During the time that he was president of his Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, he met a Purdue coed, Blanche Marline Harris known as Mar. It was love at first sight. They married on September 17, 1952 and continued at Purdue as married students. After four years at Purdue, Stan decided he would rather major in math at the University of Texas, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree. Thanks to R.O.T.C. he began his Army career as a Second Lieutenant in the Chemical Corps at Fort McClellan, Alabama. There, he and Mar started their family. Each of their four children were born at Army base hospitals. Living on various Army bases around the U.S. and in Europe provided a unique education for their four children. Stan’s Army career included 17 months in Korea and 6 months in Vietnam. He was chosen to attend the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, where he received his Master’s Degree. During his years in the Army, he was able to pursue his many interests. The family skied in the Swiss, Austrian and German Alps. He and Mar were privileged to see many beautiful operas in Europe. Stan loved the ballet and loved all kinds of music, from classical to Blue Grass. He was an excellent tennis player and a strong swimmer. He was a true wine connoisseur, and was a walking encyclopedia on many topics. He belonged to several professional organizations, including Tau Beta Pi, an Engineering Honor Society and MOAA, the Military Officers Association. During his 20 years in the U.S. Army, he won many awards such as the Legion of Merit and a commendation for being on the Army Tank Program Analysis Team, which states that Stan “...made decisions that will influence National Security and the future of Armor well into the next century.” His last assisgnment before retiring was three years at the Pentagon. After retirement, he worked for twenty years as a mathematician at Vector Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan and took classes in the doctoral program at the University of Michigan. During the twenty years spent in Ann Arbor, he and his family became Great Lake sailors. They kept their sailboats on Lake Erie, and upon his second retirement, this time from civilian life, he and Mar purchased Windquest 111, a beautiful Island Packet. For three years the two of them lived on Windquest, spending 7 months going down the chain of islands of the Bahamas, where they survived Hurricane Erin while anchored off the Green Turtle Cay. They sailed in the British and American Virgin Islands. They finished their three years as live-aboard by spending two weeks anchored at the Dry Tortugas. They sailed through a night up the Gulf of Mexico, turned to starboard and entered the Charlotte Harbor and finally into Burnt Store Marina, where they found a permanent dock for Winquest, and they built a house by a pond. For the next eleven years Stan and Mar were active in several organizations, including the Peace River Sail and Power Squadron. Stan’s love, kindness and gentle personality will be greatly missed by many friends and especially his beloved family. His wife Mar of Punta Gorda, sister, Mary Virginia (Armin) Pagel of Ingram, TX; daughters Karla Spaulding of San Francisco, CA; Julie (Mark) Underwood of Carrboro, NC and Lisa (John) Williams of St. Petersburg, FL; son Greg (Sharon) Spaulding of Ventura, CA; grandchildren Karin, Alex, Sarah, Matthew, Kristen, Megan, Caitlin, Danny and Timmy. A memorial service will be 11:00 am, Friday, April 27, 2007 at Hope Hospice, 2430 Diplomat Parkway, E. Cape Coral, FL 33909.