Stephen Peter Augustine Stanton

Stephen Peter Augustine Stanton born to Mary Therese Kelly Stanton and Dennis Stanton on April 13, 1991. He was in a workplace accident October 24, 2014 and died November 6, 2014 at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia. He was 23 years old. He attended St.Lukes Grade School in Glenside Pa. At the age of seven Stephen journeyed to the Good Friday Peace Accords in Belfast Ireland April 10, 1998. This was an historic peace treaty between the English and Ireland of 800 years of war. Stephen joined the Archdiocesan Boy Choir at the age of eight where his musical talents were improved upon from his earlier experience in the Stanton Family Singers. When Stephen auditioned for the choir, he selected two Irish songs he learned in the Stanton Family Singers ( SFS). He was inducted into the choir and was branded the nick name "Irish " by the director Tom Windfelder. The Boys Choir enabled Stephen many opportunities including reading music and learning it's basic structure and composition. He performed with the choir in many local Archdiocesan parishes as well as travelling abroad to Fatima Portugal twice and once to the walled city of Avila Spain. His first trip to Fatima was during a world pilgrimage there and sang with the choir to two hundred to three hundred thousand attendees at Fatima Square. He toured the many churches and castles of Portugal including the village of the three children that the Blessed Mother appeared to. His grandparents John & Harriet Stanton attended the second trip to Fatima. On the trip to Avila Spain Stephen performed at several churches and participated in the centuries old traditional Holy Week processions through the streets at night. Stephen auditioned for the tri-annual Boy Choir play of Oliver and landed the lead role Oliver. His stage skills were continually sharpened by attending several theatre schools and camps over the summers. At the age of eleven Stephen began piano lessons at Settlement Music school and quickly progressed to private lessons by Eugene Varshavsky. His piano skills continually improved allowing him to play the keys for the family band SFS. He took up the bagpipes and played for many family functions. Stephen in eighth grade tried out for the annual Summer Stock play program for the lead role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof which played at the Keswick Theatre for two sold out nights. In the same year on April 10th Stephen attended Pope John Paul II' s funeral in Rome. During Stephen's grade school years he had visited many states including Yosemite , Rocky Mountains, Alcatraz, Mount St.Helens and Rainier, Grand Canyon, Bryce & Zion National parks and Lake Powell. He witnessed the space shuttle Endeavor liftoff in 96. He participated in People To People Student Ambassador program where he travelled to Greece, France & Italy. Steve attended La Salle H.S. where he was in all of their plays and had a lead in his senior year in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He was in the school choir and performed piano and chorus for many Eucharistic celebrations. During a home LaSalle Basketball game, their team was getting smothered and ran home to get his bagpipes and gathered some friends to paint up like Irish-Scot warriors. They stormed onto the basketball court at halftime wailing on the bags and rallied the beleaguered spectators to a deafening battle cry and defeated their opponent with ease. The story line in the Daily Newspaper the next morning was "It Was In The Bag." Steve was a La Salle Student Ambassador and was graced with the responsibility of singing America for the opening ceremonies at his graduation. At the Baccalaureate Mass he played the piano and sang on the alter at the conclusion of the Mass. Steve went onto St Vincent's College in Latrobe PA where he earned a Degree in Music & Arts Administration. He took flying lessons at the Arnie Palmer Airport, and in his junior year he took advantage of the exchange student program and travelled to Galway Ireland for six months. There he studied at the National University of Ireland-Galway. He took lessons and learned the Uilleann bag pipes as well as the native Gaelic language. He met his sweetheart there Anna Frye and continued their relationship till today. During his stay in Galway he travelled Europe and most of Ireland. During a class at NUI, a teacher had asked the class if anyone had heard of the Peace Accord. Steve, the only yank in the class raised his hand and said "I was there" and proceeded to teach the class on this great event. Steve joined the Philadelphia Society of the Friendly Sons of St Patrick, and is as you may guess is the youngest member in the society. Steve has played in a few bands including Long Miles during high school and the Bare Knuckle Boxers with his cousins Mike and Connor. In 2014 Steve began working for Stanton Systems in Ivyland Pa. During Steve s time at college he was able to go on an African Safari to Kenya. He experienced all the wildlife he had only seen on TV and pictures. He camped in the thick of the Maasai Mara during the Great Migration allowing him to witness real wildlife encounters. Stephen had a wonderful life of experiences and adventures, and was loved and adored by his friends and 52 Stanton cousins. He recently said upon getting used to his new work career, "Dad, I'm going to miss the old days." A Funeral Mass was held at Immaculate Conception Church in Jenkintown this past Tuesday.