Edward John Stanley IV

Edward John Stanley IV entered into his eternal rest on July 18, 2021. We are saddened to have lost him so soon after the passing of his wife Diane, but are comforted by the knowledge that they are together again in eternity. Ed will be remembered for many things, including his devotion to his wife and family and his generosity to others.

Ed was born in Dallas, Texas on August 2, 1941 to Herbert Mark Stanley and his wife Anne Riley Stanley. Arriving 10 years after the birth of his closest sibling, he was their fifth and final child. Ed was baptized at Holy Trinity Catholic Church where he later attended grade school. He met Jean Diane Folzenlogen in first grade and had no idea at the time that the curly haired girl in his class would become the center of his world for almost 45 years.

Many of Ed’s fondest childhood memories involve his time spent following his father around, to work and on errands. One of his favorite stories to tell was of the time his father took him barefoot into a fancy bank lobby in Dallas. As a teen, Ed worked with his father on drilling equipment owned by the family business, Stanley Drilling Company. Ed was the baby of the Stanley family and his time spent with his father and the care he received from his siblings instilled in him a deep sense of loyalty to family that he carried with him when he started a family of his own.

Ed attended Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas, graduating in 1959. After high school, intended to follow in his father and siblings’ footsteps and study geology. He enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin, but soon realized that he did not enjoy the science courses required to be a geology major. With the financial support of his family, he moved back to Dallas and enrolled at the University of Dallas, a new Catholic university that his father had donated drilling services to during its construction. He graduated from UD in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts. At the time, the Vietnam War was escalating so Ed enrolled in the Air Force Reserve and completed his training as a Medical Service Specialist in 1966. Following his service in the Air Force Reserve, he studied for and passed the CPA exam in 1971. As a young adult, he had observed with his father’s company how important it is to have good accounting practices when running a business. He had hoped to one day return to Stanley Drilling Company to help with the accounts. He spent 34 years as a practicing CPA, helping others with their tax and accounting needs.

A few years after passing the CPA exam, Ed was attending a CPA conference in Dallas when he realized one of the speakers was a former classmate from Holy Trinity. They had dated briefly in high school, so after the lecture he approached Diane Folzenlogen and asked if she remembered him. They reconnected and Ed knew she was “the one.” As he would often tell others, Diane was one of the smartest, hardest working and most creative persons he had ever met. They were married at Holy Trinity Catholic Church on November 26, 1976.

Ed and Diane were blessed with 3 children – Christine Marie (b. 1977), Edward John V (b. 1979) and JeanMarie (b. 1981). They lived in Rockwall, TX on several acres with a small pond. Ed loved to fish and spent many hours teaching his kids how to cast a lure in that small pond. They later bought a lakehouse on Lake Fork in East Texas and spent many weekends and summer months fishing there as a family. Every family vacation also involved fishing in some way – either on the coast or in rivers in the mountains. Ed’s last big family fishing trip was to the west coast of British Columbia in 2011. He landed a 61 pound halibut; the smile on his face that day was one of his biggest ever.

Ed had his own CPA practice and his office was at home, so much of his time was spent with Diane and their children. He attended numerous kid activities - soccer games, football games, swim meets and equestrian events. In addition to caring for his wife and children and helping clients in his CPA practice, Ed was quick to lend a hand to others in need. He always had something to give to those who came to the front door in Irving asking for handouts and would always lend a hand or a tool to a neighbor with a project. After he retired from his CPA practice, he loved to find projects to work on for others. He helped raise money for the University of Dallas and the Dallas ProLife Committee and used his bookkeeping skills to help in the church office. And he loved to help others by giving advice, especially on the subjects of education, employment and religion.

When Diane fell and broke her leg in December of 1988, Ed became her caregiver and advocate. As Diane struggled with health issues over the next 33 years, his focus continued to be on what he could do to help lessen her pain and suffering. He was with her at every doctor’s appointment and medical procedure until he was physically and mentally unable to do so. Whenever the doctors delivered bad news, he always asked for a second opinion and focused on “the next step” to overcome the latest medical issue. And in the last few months that they lived in the same assisted living facility, he checked in on Diane every day and did what he could to ease her suffering as her cancers progressed. At her passing, he lost what had been the center of his world for so many years.

We will miss Ed’s generous spirit and seeing his pride in the accomplishments of his wife, children and grandchildren.

Ed is survived by his children Christine Marie Stanley Marlowe, Edward John Stanley V and JeanMarie Stanley Johnson (who is expecting her second child); their spouses Brannon Marlowe, Tiffany Stanley and Joshua Johnson; his grandchildren Madeleine Marie Marlowe, James Edward Marlowe, Charlotte Jean Marlowe, Emily Marie Stanley, Bethany Rei Stanley, Taylor Nichole Stanley, Julia Grace Stanley and Augustine Michael Johnson; his sister Peggy Stanley Gormley and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Anne Marie Stanley, his brothers Herbert Mark Stanley II and Donald J. Stanley and his wife Jean Diane Folzenlogen Stanley.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 14th at Our Lady of Dallas Cistercian Abbey located at 3550 Cistercian Rd in Irving, Texas. The rosary will start at 2:30pm and the Mass will be held at 3pm. A reception will follow at the University of Dallas in SB Hall located at 2925 Gorman Drive in Irving, TX 75062. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the University of Dallas (www.udallas.edu/offices/advancement) in Ed’s memory.