Ed Stanley

Ed Stanley Long-time Tumwater City Councilman Ed Stanley, aged 66, died suddenly at his home on Monday, February 6th. He spent 10 years as a social worker at the Sisters of Providence Hospital in Chehalis before joining the Pierce County Aids Foundation in 1999. He worked at CHOICE Regional Health Network in 2010. His real love was politics. Although he joined the Republican Party before he could vote, he later switched to the Democratic Party. Ed spent over 40 years door-belling, running election campaigns and fundraising. He was a member of the Tumwater City Council from 1996 until his death, was Tumwater Mayor Pro-tem in 2011, and served on and chaired numerous governmental boards and commissions. Ed was very proud to have been the first man elected to the Board of the Thurston County League of Women Voters. He won the US Jaycees' Outstanding Young Man of America Award in 1980 and was Olympia YWCA Man of the Year in 2006. Ed was born in Aberdeen on July 28, 1945. His father, Ed Sr., was the owner and publisher of the Elma Chronicle. His mother, Taimi, helped run the paper until Ed Sr.'s death in 1964 and then worked as a legal secretary for the State of Washington until she retired. She died in October 2010, six months after her 100th birthday. Ed graduated from Elma High School and earned his Bachelor's degree in sociology/social work from St. Martin's University. He worked tirelessly for the people and causes that he believed in. He raised hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars for political candidates and for numerous non-profits. Ed had a great intellect and a wonderfully dry sense of humor. His knowledge of facts and trivia was renowned and was often called late at night to settle disputes about little known facts. But he was not without his detractors in that he did not suffer fools gladly. He was a fabulous cook and a wonderful host and invitations to his parties were in great demand. His generosity to his many friends was even more legendary, and his loss will be felt throughout the City of Tumwater and the entire county. Ed is survived by his sisters, Lynn Horton and Marva Hall, and his brother Warren Stanley and by four nieces, Jenny Hall, Emily Hall, Jessica Tangen, and Leslie Horton and a nephew, Chris Hall. There will be a celebration of his life at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts on Friday February 24th at 6:00 p.m. The doors will open at 5:00 p.m. The family is requesting that attendees not wear black.