Kenneth Stanley

KENNETH STANLEY, GRAYS SC – Mr. Kenneth Reece Stanley Sr., 90, of Anderson SC, formally of Grays, SC, entered into the Kingdom of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at the AnMed Health Medical Center of Anderson, SC.  Mr. Stanley was born May 26, 1932 in the Varnville, SC area and was the son of Landy Stanley and S. Lucille Connelly Stanley.

Mr. Stanley was raised on a farm in Grays SC and was an avid animal lover, especially dogs, horses, donkey, and goats. He also loved being outdoors daylight to dark.  He was a natural mechanic and a trained machinist, loved working on autos, ships, planes, submarines and all kinds of machines.  He also loved music, played the guitar, steel guitar, harmonica and sang in his home church choir at Beaver Dam Baptist Church.

Mr. Stanley served his country in the US Air Force, joining in November of 1951, during the Korean War Era.  He trained to be an aircraft mechanic, working on both propeller and jet engine airplanes. He was assigned to Mather Air Force Base of Sacramento, California where he met and married the love of his life Dorothy Jean Cherry on April 9, 1955; they were married for 66 years.  After finishing his US Air Force assignment in November 1955, Mr. Stanley and his wife returned to South Carolina where they lived most of their lives and raised their two sons and daughter. He worked both as a self-employed mechanic and as an employed mechanic at various factories, auto dealerships mostly in South Carolina and some in California, but spent most of his career as a machinist at the US Naval Base of Charleston SC and as a machinist at the Marine Corp Air Station of Beaufort SC.

Mr. Stanley is survived by his wife Dorothy Jean Cherry Stanley of Anderson SC, son Kenneth(Ken) Reece Stanley Jr of Anderson SC, son Monon(Monty) Anthony Stanley (Linda J Fludd Stanley) of Grays SC, Granddaughter Jessica Malphrus Presley(Chad), 5 great-grandsons Bryant, Jack, Clayton, Caylon, Jousha, 2 great-granddaughters Denna, Sara of Fairbanks AK, and Granddaughter Aaron Stanley Smith(Brandon), 2 great-grandsons Shannon, Baby Smith, 2 great-granddaughters Sarah, Emma, of Powdersville, SC and Grandson Andy Stanley of Grays SC, and Granddaughter Adrian Stanley Mancuso(Chris) Mancuso of Woodstock, CT and Granddaughter Kathryn Stanley Harris(O’Bryant) 2 great-grandsons Zayden, Luccas of Travelers Rest, SC, and 2 sister-in-laws Ethylean Hudson Fisk of Beaufort SC, Gail Smith Stanley of Grays SC and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.  

Mr. Stanley was preceded in death by his daughter Cherri Louise Stanley Malphrus, daughter-in-law Mary Elaine Shirley Stanley, and son-in-law Benjamin(Benjie) Anthony Malphrus. He was also preceded in death by his father Landy and mother Lucille, 2 infants brothers, brothers and their wives J. Roscoe Stanley(Ida), Hansford J. Stanley(Ola Mae), Donald F. Stanley(Eunice), M. Ralph Stanley(Mildred), and brother Herbert M. Stanley.

Family and friends are invited for Visitation at 1 pm and Funeral services will begin at 2 pm on August 1, 2022 at Beaver Dam Baptist Church of Grays, SC (4611 Beaver Dam Rd, Early Branch, SC 29916). Graveside service will follow at 3 pm in the Beaver Dam Baptist Cemetery.

Sauls Funeral Home of Ridgeland, SC will conduct the services.

www.saulsfh.com   843-726-5535  saulsfuneral@hargray.com

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