Stanley Julian "Stan" Wahl

1920 - 2006

Stanley "Stan" Julian Wahl died unexpectedly Saturday, March 25, 2006, in Oxnard. He was 85.

Born July 2, 1920, in Astoria, Ore., Stan was the son of Norwegian immigrants who came to the United States in the early 1900s. His father was a fisherman and town sheriff in Astoria. He graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. After graduation, he attended the Notre Dame Midshipman School, where he became an officer and joined the Navy during World War II as a deep-sea diver on salvage and recovery missions. After the war, he worked as a Navy civilian facilities engineer in Astoria, Ore., where he met his future wife, Margaret Westre. They were married for more than 50 years before she passed away in 1999.

In 1961, Stanley and his family moved to Oxnard, where he resided for the past 44 years. He worked as an engineer for the Navy at Point Mugu and Port Hueneme Naval Construction Battalion. During his 35 years of government service, Stan's jobs took him to Vietnam and the South Pacific. Stan retired as a facilities engineer in 1980.

He is survived by his sister, Alfhild Wartelle of Seattle, Wash.; daughters and sons-in-law, Linda and Tim Pedersen of Dublin, Calif., Carol and Walt Phillip of Ventura, and Nancy and Sadik Dakar of Bellevue, Wash.; along with seven grandchildren, Megan, Ryan, Chris, Adam, Matt, Lindsay and Deanna.

Stan loved salmon fishing on the Columbia River, vacationing and clam digging in Pismo Beach and his beloved Pacific Northwest. A highlight of his life was a salmon fishing trip to Alaska with his good friend Tommy Stocks. He had been planning a salmon fishing trip for the whole family this summer in Warrenton, Ore.

Stan was a modern-day Renaissance man. He had an insatiable hunger for learning and studying current events and historical subjects. He was an avid reader of newspapers and nonfiction books. He loved the History Channel. He was respected by all for his brilliant mind and mechanical knowledge, always willing to help everybody who knew him. His fairness, integrity, humility and generosity were greatly appreciated. He had a kind and gentle manner and enthusiasm for many academic interests. He was an inspiration to all who knew him. He will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his family.

Memorial donations may be made to the National Kidney Foundation.

A graveside service was held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the James A Reardon-Payton Mortuary, 511 North A St., Oxnard; phone 1-805-483-2233.