Charles E. Stanley

Charles E. Stanley, Sr., 82, of Tonawanda, N.Y., died Tuesday, June 8, 2004 at his residence of a sudden illness.

He was born in Venus to O.D. and Mary Elizabeth Stanley, who were former residents of Chicora. Mr. Stanley was an accountant for National Fuel Gas, where he worked as manager of customer accounts from 1952 to 1986. He retired in 1986 with 32 years of service. He was the pilot of a B-24 four-engine heavy bomber. Twice, he was shot down over the Blechhammer synthetic oil center. The first time he managed to fly his damaged aircraft just past the Russian lines in Romania when he was forced to order his 10-member crew to bail out. As pilot, he was the last to leave the aircraft, jumping from under 500 feet. The second time, in December of 1944, he was forced to bail out over Yugoslavia and was picked up by Tito?s Partisans. He and his crew had to walk more than 120 miles to the coast through German occupied territory. Weather conditions were so severe that one of the Partisan escorts froze to death. When he married his sweetheart after the war, his bride wore a wedding dress made from the parachute he had carried across Yugoslavia. For his efforts, he was the recipient of the Air Medal. He attended grade school in a one-room schoolhouse. A 1938 graduate of East Brady High School, he graduated from Canisius College with a bachelor of arts degree in accounting in 1952. A devout Roman Catholic, he was a member of St. Amelia Church. A fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates, he enjoyed golf; reading westerns; history; and mysteries. He also enjoyed visiting his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In 2002, he was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross by Governor George Pataki at the World War II Memorial in Albany. For more than 50 years, he was a resident of the Buffalo area.

Survivors include three sons, Charles E. Stanley Jr. and wife AnneMary Strano of Albany, Francis J. Stanley and wife Roseanne of Lockport, N.Y. and Thomas A. Stanley of Reston, Va.; two daughters, Mary E. Baxter of Silver Spring, Md. and Jean Marie Cleggett of Lancaster; 13 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren; one brother, John B. Stanley and wife Grace of Westmont, N.J.; and four sisters, Mary Fallecker of Butler, Eileen Miller and husband Russel of Columbus, Ohio, Grace Salak and husband Joseph of Pittsburgh and Rose Salak and husband John of Meadville. He was preceded in death by his parents; and one sister, Margaret Stanley, who was a resident of Chicora. A Funeral Mass will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Mater Dolorosa Church, Chicora. Burial will be in Hemphill Cemetery, Chicora.