Starting at a young age, Ray Stanley, who is the son of David and Ollie Stanley, developed an interest in repairing things. Before moving on to restoring Ford Fairlanes, which he collected and adored for many years, he began fiddling with clocks when he was a boy. He then moved on to rebuilding clocks.
Following his graduation from Staunton River High School, he enlisted in the United States Navy and dedicated his service to the nation throughout the Vietnam War. Following his return to his hometown, he found employment as a machinist at Rubatex, where he put his physical prowess and expertise to good use for more than thirty years.
Rooster” was his nickname, and he was respected for his work ethic, which included the ways in which he consistently fixed automotive, plumbing, and electrical difficulties at home as well as at work.
He was known for his work ethic. He took great pleasure in tending to the farm, which included taking care of the animals, his vegetable garden, and his fruit trees. Ray played his banjo with a smile on his face right up until the very last days of his life. At that time, music was an integral part of being a Stanley man. Over the course of fifty-one years, Ray was married to Karen.
Together, they were the parents of four children: Cliff, Scott, Marissa, and Corley. They also suffered the loss of their infant son, Christopher. Raymond Stanley was preceded in death by his parents, David and Ollie Stanley, as well as by his three brothers, David (William), Richard, and Wayne Stanley, as well as by his infant brother, Christopher.
His wife, Karen Wood Stanley, his four children, Clifton (and his wife Laura), Scott (and his wife Amanda), Marissa Leith (and her husband Webster), and Corley (and her husband Niven), his grandchildren Brice, Jalyn, Masyn, Kennedy, Lincoln, Owen, Jeb, Steven, Stephanie, Aleczander, and Clint, his sister, Genny Humphreys (and her husband Bob), his aunt, Nancy Orange (and her husband Jesse), and a large number of nieces, nephews, and cousins are among those who survive him.
