Marvin Wayne Stansbery

Marvin Wayne Stansbery, beloved father, grandfather, and cherished friend, passed away on October 22, 2025, in Fairfax, Virginia, at the age of 84. Born at home on December 8, 1940, in a farmhouse near Montgomery City, Missouri, Wayne exemplified a life of dedication, service, and heartfelt expression.

The first in his farming family to pursue a college degree, Wayne earned a Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri in 1963. He met Martene Ponder at a Mizzou football game in 1965; they were married in 1966, and were joined by children Paul Wayne Stansbery in 1969, Robert Graham Stansbery in 1970, and Margaret Lee Stansbery in 1975. They were married for 55 years before her passing in 2022.

Wayne devoted his professional life to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, mostly in the Farmers Home Administration, where he devoted his career to improving the financial lives of farmers and others living in rural communities across the country. In 1979, the Farmers Home Administration sent Wayne to Washington, DC, as part of a Master’s Degree program with American University. His studies at American University were supposed to take his family to Northern Virginia for two years. Instead, he retired from the National Office in 2002, after 37 years of service. Two of his three children remain in Northern Virginia.

He was a man of few words, so when he spoke, he often felt strongly about what he was saying. The words he spoke may have been few, but the songs he shared were many. He loved to sing. He joined the University Singers at Mizzou, recording an album he still had on CD, a choir at Harmony shortly before he passed, and an untold number of church choirs in the years between. His enthusiasm for singing created connections and forged friendships, reinforcing his legacy of love and joy through music.

Wayne was also an avid sports fan. He grew up listening to St. Louis Cardinals baseball games on the radio and became enamored with Mizzou Tiger football and basketball when he was a student at the university. He always followed the Cardinals and the Kansas City Chiefs, but he also enjoyed the home teams wherever he was living.

Wayne leaves behind a loving family who will carry his memory forward. He is survived by his children: Paul Stansbery and his wife, Dianne; Robert Stansbery and his husband, John Pionke; and Lee Stansbery-Galles and her wife, Julie Galles. His life continues in the energy and love of his grandchildren, James Stansbery and Ryan Stansbery, who brought him immense joy.

Wayne is predeceased by his devoted wife, Martene Stansbery, who was his partner in life's journey, and his mother, Ruby Stansbery.

A celebration of Wayne’s life will be held on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. at Harmony at Chantilly, 2980 Centreville Road, Herndon, Virginia. Friends and family are warmly invited to gather in remembrance to honor his life and legacy. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to a local music program or choir in Wayne’s memory.