William Astor Stanley

STANLEY, William Astor, 78, of Richmond, passed away on January 19, 2022. He was preceeded in death by his parents, Dr. Thomas Eldridge Stanley, his mother, Madalean Mundy Stanley; and his son, William Penn Stanley. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Mary Douglas Woolford Stanley; his daughter, Elizabeth Stanley Carithers; and grandchildren, Madeleine Astor Carithers and William Hayes Carithers. He is also survived by his sister, Sigrid Stanley Jackman; and his brother, Thomas Eldridge Stanley Jr.; as well as several nieces and nephews.

A native Richmonder, Bill was the youngest of three children and the son of a country doctor, often accompanying his father on house calls while also spending time on their family farm in Montpelier. He was a member of the National Guard and began a 50 year career in real estate in 1970 with Wallace Jefferson Jones. Bill's self-built real estate career included marketing, sales and sales management for residential, new home construction and land. He was recognized by peers as a leader in the industry, helped many young agents get their start in real estate and became a mentor to many. Most recently, he was the recipient of the C. Porter Vaughn Jr. Outstanding Service Award given by the Richmond Real Estate Association.

Bill cherished time with his family and friends. He attended all of his grandchildren's swim meets, tennis matches, baseball, basketball, soccer games and school plays. He loved to share in their success and was their biggest cheerleader. He enjoyed going out to lunch and dinner with friends, many of whom were lifelong friends from childhood and were the regular recipients of Bill's hysterical cards whenever they were sick or in need. Bill loved to dance and could always be found at the center of the dance floor or up on stage, dancing with the band. He had a natural gift for rhythm and could play music by ear. He enjoyed playing his drums into his last weeks of life.

But his lasting gift to all of us was his work with the community helping those less fortunate. Bill was a selfless civil servant who devoted much of his time to helping others through his volunteer efforts. Whether it was standing out in the cold selling Christmas trees to benefit Good Samaritan Ministries, reading to children at Linwood Holton Elementary School or carrying bottled water in his car to give to the homeless at stop lights, Bill always had an intrinsic desire to help others. Bill was a long-standing member of All Saints Episcopal Church, where he spent countless hours on the Building and Grounds committee, the Vestry and was an usher with the same team for many years. Bill's faith and his love for his family, friends and the greater Richmond community will be his legacy to those he touched.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, February 9 at 11 a.m. at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 6000 Grove Avenue, Richmond, Va. 23226, with a private burial to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Good Samaritan Ministries, 2307 Hull Street, Richmond, Va. 23224; or to St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. Masks are required at the service, which will also be livestreamed at www.ststephensrva.org/memorialstream.