In memory of Master Sergeant Sammy Ray Stanley, from his daughter Tania and son-in-law Brian.
Delivered by Brian:
Thank you all so much for coming.
There are so many things to talk about when I think about Grandpa. Two things stand out.
First, he was a man of few words. You always knew where Grandpa stood based on his facial expression. The first time I met Grandpa when Tania took me home for a family dinner, I got out of the car and he gave me a firm handshake. He looked me up and down and was not very impressed. He invited me into his house and within 15 minutes he was showing me an arsenal of 40 to 50 different weapons. On the ride home Tania commented that it was so wonderful that I had bonded with her dad--that he had never done this with anyone else before. My answer to Tania was what that really was was not bonding but instead he was showing me that if I screwed up he had 40 different weapons he could kill me with.
The second thing that stands out about Grandpa is what a wonderful teacher he is. Grandpa thought it was a good idea for the two of us to take up golf. Grandpa studied all the nuances of golf and decided to enlighten me on all of them. He commented on my stroke, my swing, my stance, what club I was using, the distance that the ball should go. Grandpa had a saying: I can't play golf, but I can tell you how to play golf. With that my performance never improved--a reflection on the student and not the teacher. He transitioned to my son Evan, spending hours upon hours teaching how to play golf. He built him a golfing tee where they would swing for hours with wiffle balls. Grandpa would periodically take Evan to the driving range. Evan's improvement in golf has been very impressive, and I attribute that to the teacher.
Grandpa also took it upon himself to teach my son how to fish. On vacation they would spend hours casting lines into a swimming pool practicing for the real thing. Grandpa's patience and love has taught me how to be a better father.
The things that I will miss about Grandpa....
--warthog and ostrich eggs for breakfast (also known as Grandpa's breakfast of bacon and eggs)
--hearing what the cheapest gas is within a five mile radius of my house
--political banter
--stories of Clintwood, VA and Uncle Clifford
--watching him play hide and seek with his grandson Evan
--crazy Army stories about Bobby Blackwell and Dennis Shelton
--watching him get dressed up for the simplest occasions.
Delivered by Tania:
My father, my hero, my inspiration.
A man born into modest means who pulls himself up by his bootstraps and makes good.
A man who showed me that with hard work and determination you can do anything.
A man who quit smoking more than three years ago.
A man that slayed the dragon of a youthful quick temper.
A man who taught me about self reliance.
A man with a booming voice.
A man who believed in the importance of education and ensured that I obtained one.
A patriot who loves his country who motivated countless soldiers and motivated me to serve my country.
A man who led other men in combat. Who, when asked by his grandson if he won the Vietnam War, responded that he won by returning home alive.
A man's man, a man of strength and integrity with a strong appreciation for and knowledge of nature.
A role model for my two sons whose influence will be sorely missed.
A man who loved his family and whose passion for the military was replaced with a passion for his grandsons.
A man whose Bible was filled with notes about Salvation, but who thought he was not good enough. No one is good enough.
A man that we all loved and already desperately miss. I love you Daddy. We all love you.
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