Lt. Colonel Darrell L. Stanley

Lt. Colonel Darrell L. Stanley

Lt. Colonel Darrell L. Stanley

Darrell Stanley Sr, 88 of Abilene, died Saturday July 25, 2020 at Coronado Nursing Facility. Visitation will be from 5 to 7pm on Thursday, July30, 2020 at North's Funeral Home 242 Orange St. The remains will be cremated and the ashes will be interred at Fort Bliss Military Cemetery.

Darrell was born October 11, 1931 in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado and by the age of 14 he and his twin brother Delbert were running a dairy farm practically by themselves, After high school, he attended a trade school in Denver. During the Korean war, he joined the United States Air Force. He married Phyllis Marie Buhr in 1952 in Englewood, Colorado. He retired from the Air Force with the rank of Lt. Colonel. He held the following military decorations: the Bronze Star Medal, the Joint Service Commendation the Meritorious Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Vietnamese Honor Medal First Class, and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm leaf. Service medals: the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Medal with one bronze battle star, the Vietnam Service Medal with four bronze battle stars, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with Date bar. He also earned the Senior Missileman Badge, a Marksmanship Ribbon, an Outstanding Unit Award ribbon with one bronze oak leaf cluster, and an Air Force Longevity Ribbon with one silver oak leaf cluster and one bronze oak leaf cluster. His assignments included a tour in special weapons, tours of duty in the Atlas and Minuteman missile systems, a student at both Squadron Officers School and the Air Command and Staff College, duties at Headquarters 15th Air Force (SAC), and duties at Headquarters MACV in Saigon, South Vietnam. His overseas assignments took him to England, Alaska, Vietnam, and Turkey.

After his military retirement, Lt. Colonel Stanley earned a degree in Business Administration at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, graduating as the valedictorian of his class. He was an honor student and graduated summa cum laude- with a grade-point average of 4.0. Following graduation, he held the position of business manager with a small, high-tech engineering firm in Austin. Following that, he served until the end of 1994 as the personnel manager for another Austin firm associated with the air transportation industry. In 1995, Darrell and his wife, Phyllis, moved to Abilene and bought a home in Fairway Oaks. Darrell was active in the Fairway Oaks Neighborhood Association and held several elective offices. He was a life member of the Military Officers Association of America and served for six years on the Board of Directors for the Local Chapter. He was a Methodist.

Survivors include his wife, Phyllis, of Abilene; a Son, Darrell L. Stanley Jr. of Chaparral, New Mexico: two grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Darrell was preced in death by his parents, daughter Susan E. Stanley, son Paul L. Stanley, one brother, Delbert, and one sister Vilabelle. Memorials in Honor of Lt. Colonel Darrell L. Stanley may be sent to the Salvation Army in Abilene. Condolences for the family may be left at www.northsfuneralhome.com.