Major William "Bill" Henry Stanley

Major William “Bill” Henry Stanley (Ret), 73, passed away peacefully in his Houston residence, March 26, 2022. He was born in the Maternity Building of Saint Joseph’s Infirmary in Houston, Texas on June 25, 1948 to the late Hollie M. Stanley, Sr. and Mary Louise Hohlt Stanley and graduated from Spring Branch High School in the Class of 1966.

William attended the University of Houston, College of Engineering, and graduated with a BS in Electrical Engineering. He entered the USAF as a Second Lieutenant and attended Pilot Training at Vance AFB in Oklahoma with the Class of 72-02. His duties with the Air Force took him to Cannon AFB in Clovis, New Mexico; Langley AFB in Virginia; RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, England and Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. While stationed at Wright Patterson, William lost his beloved wife Angel Marie Collins Stanley. He retired two years later and returned to Houston to be near his family.

In his retirement, William took classes in Computer Science and enjoyed photography and travel. He attended space shuttle launches and photographed solar eclipses among other spectacular and historic sights. He was very artistic and enjoyed cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, and woodworking. During his travels, he often collected art pieces and loved to spend time conversing with local artists. He was a Lifetime Alumni Member at the University of Houston and regularly attended football and basketball games. He was also a great supporter of the Houston Symphony. William was an amateur radio operator and a member of the American Radio Relay League. In his spare time he read every science fiction novel ever published!

William was predeceased by his parents, wife and brother, Hollie M. Stanley, Jr. He is survived by his sister Mary Elizabeth Stanley Javaherian, five nieces and nephews, and seven great nieces and great nephews.

A Celebration of Life Service honoring Bill will be held at 1:00 p.m., Sunday, April 10, 2022 at Waltrip Funeral Directors, 1415 Campbell Road, Houston, Texas. Burial with US Air Force Military Honors will be held at 10:00 a.m., Monday in Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas. Guests are invited to share light refreshments following the service.

Those who wish to remember William in a special way may continue his generous donations to the Houston Food Bank or to a charity of your choice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.waltripfuneraldirectors.com for the Stanley family.