Obituary of Russell Stanley

STANLEY. Russell Theodore passed away peacefully at home on March 22, 2013, surrounded by the love of his wife Helen, son Ted, daughter Elaine and granddaughter Kim. Russ was born in Brandon on May 18, 1921, the third oldest child of Oliver and Jennie (Todd). He spent his entire life in Brandon except for three years served in the army down east and in Ontario. While posted to Kingston Russ met his lifetime love, Helen Malone (originally from Prince Edward Island). While standing in line at a movie, Russ and his buddy spotted two girls, Helen and her friend. Amused, they watched Helen, an animal lover, attempt to discretely pet the fur coat on the lady in line ahead of her, while her friend panicked that Helen would be caught. The following night, the guys saw the girls at a dance and the rest became history. Their marriage of almost 68 years began on July 15, 1945. Upon discharge from the military in August 1946, Russ and Helen moved to Brandon. They had three children: Ted, Elaine, and Jerry. For over twenty years Russ worked as an auto body repairman at Western Motors. In the 1960s Helen and Russ operated Russ's Grocery at 251-3rd street. Russ was a maintenance man at the provincial building when ill health then forced him into retirement. Helen and Russ loved to travel, first with the kids to Boston, PEI, and Alberta. Once the kids left home, so did Russ and Helen any chance they got. They travelled to Boston, PEI, Victoria, Vancouver (to visit Jerry and family), California, Vegas, Tahoe, Atlantic City, Florida, Nashville and overnight trips to different casinos. Once the overnight trips were no longer an option, they enjoyed the day trips into Winnipeg with Prairie Oasis. They talked often about how much they enjoyed their travels and trips and all the people they had met - time well spent. During his life Russ had a variety of interests–curling, hockey and fishing (a pastime he introduced to Ted at family picnics at the iron bridge). When Jerry played hockey and baseball as a youth, Russ would go watch him play. Later in life, Russ could be found with a TV (or two) tuned into a hockey, baseball or curling game. Horses held a fascination for him (especially heavy horses having worked with them after leaving school) and when able, he and Helen attended the Calgary Stampede, the winter and summer fairs in Brandon or would watch programs on TV that showed horses – rodeos, horse racing, equestrian events, winter and summer fairs. Russ and Helen enjoyed music, singing and dancing. He often spoke of the many dances he and Helen would go to when they were younger. Russ referred to them "jiving" while Helen referred to "being tossed around the dance floor". As a young girl, Elaine learned to dance by "jiving" around the kitchen with dad. As well as playing the bugle in the army, Russ played the harmonica. In recent times, he and Helen would watch "Let's Sing Again" on TV and the two would often be heard singing along with the show and once in a while the harmonica would come out, much to our delight. Russ loved his granddaughters. He and Helen spent a great deal of time with Kim while she was growing up and they had a bond that was only made stronger in the last two years of his life. Always a jokester, Kim became the main target of his sense of humor and quick wit: cracking her up with his one liners, pretending to be unconscious or suddenly busting into a dance move while walking with his walker, turning Kim into the stunt coordinator. He and Helen made annual trips to BC to visit Amanda and Cassi until travel became too hard on them. When the nieces and nephews were young, uncle Russ enjoyed playing Santa for a number of Christmases. He really enjoyed children and would try to put a smile on their face or get a giggle from them. Russ was an animal lover. He enjoyed watching the wildlife that came into the yard–birds, deer, turkeys, squirrels, and rabbits. Through the years Russ and Helen had various cats and dogs, usually having multiple at a time. Of their last trio of cats, Colby chose Russ as his "main human". It was common to find Colby curled up on Russ's lap or stretched out up Russ's chest to rub his head on Russ's beard. The loss of Colby was particularly hard on him and at his request, Colby's urn was buried with Russ. Russ's greatest love was his wife, Helen and even when he knew he was dying his main concern was that he be at home with her until he passed and that she be well cared for when he was gone. Survived by his loving wife, Helen; son Ted (son Kelly, grandsons Mike, Chris and Dennis); daughter Elaine (G. W. Hannay), granddaughter Kim, G.W.'s sons Ryan and Shaun; son Jerry (Roberta), granddaughters Amanda and Cassandra; sister Evelyn Webber; brothers Ernie and John; sisters-in-law Joanna Malone, Ann and Joyce Stanley; Mike Malone of Edmonton; Pat and Mike Feeney and family of Boston; and nieces and nephews Predeceased by his mother and father; sister Vivian Adams; brothers Ollie, Bert and Gerald; daughter-in-law Joanne Rollins and her daughter Patti; father and mother-in-law Joseph and Mary Malone; brothers-in-law Ted Malone, Jack Webber and Buster Adams; sisters-in-law Emma and Sylvia Stanley. Funeral Service was held March 28th at Brockie Donovan Funeral Chapel with interment at Rosewood memorial Gardens. Pall bearers were G.W., Ryan and Shaun Hannay. Thank you to Ken, Cindy, Jodee and staff at Brockie Donovan for their compassion and professionalism. Thank you to family and friends for the kindness shown to us at the time of Russ's passing. The phone calls, expressions of sympathy, visits, food, cards and donations to the Humane Society were very much appreciated.