Stan Franklin Stan died peacefully at Kincardine Hospital on Tuesday, January 31, 2017 after a valiant battle with cancer. Predeceased by his sisters, Lois and Jill, he leaves his wife, Mary Lou, his children, Melany (Bob Kitchen), Marianne (Franco Buratti) and Tom (Christine), his siblings, Doug (Sandra), Linda (Joe Sharpe), Jean (Andy Boyd) and Frank (Rita), in-laws, Earl Lyle and Arlene Lyle, and grandchildren, Annie, Thomas, Katie, Jenna, Abby, James, Patrick (Amy), Laura and great grand-baby, Wyatt, and many nieces and nephews and their families. Stan was born in Picton in 1936. With his father overseas with the Hastings & Prince Edward Regiment for almost five years, he and his little brother Doug grew up in the shadow of WWII. Stan left home at 16 and with the help of an aunt and uncle continued his high school education until he ran out of money at the end of Grade 12. He dreamt of attending university but lacked the financial resources. In keeping with the saying that it takes a village to raise a child, his aunt approached the town doctor, Dr. Richard Potter (later the Honourable Minister of Health for the Province of Ontario) and secured a gift of $250.00. Those funds enabled Stan to attend a special teacher training course. A year teaching grades kindergarten to 8 in a one-room school house in Cooper, Ontario followed and, thereafter, Stan completed high school and gained admission to the Royal Roads Military College. In 2008, Royal Roads University published “Cadet Life”, an annotated diary of Stan’s first two years of school. It was at Royal Roads in Victoria that Stan met one of the “Oak Bay Underground”, Mary Lou Lyle. Together, Stan and Mary Lou enjoyed many adventures over almost 57 years of marriage including cycling across Canada and the U.S. and, after retirement, wintering in Roadrunner Park in Scottsdale, Arizona. In 1963, Stan was posted to the USA Army Corps of Engineers in Florida where he was Project Manager for the design and construction of the Apollo Launch Pads 39A and 39B, from whence all moon shots and shuttle shots have since launched, as well as the arming tower and crawlerway at the Moonport at Cape Canaveral. For his work, Stan was nominated for the US Army Commendation Medal; however, the Canadian Army wouldn’t allow him to accept it. It was exciting to have played a part in the race to the moon. Stan eventually left the military and he and Mary Lou found their way to Kincardine, Ontario where they spent many happy years, hiking and delighting in all that nature has to offer, studying genealogy, camping, cycling and helping Tom on his farm. Stan retired from Ontario Hydro in 1993, having served in several operational roles including Site Manager of the Bruce Nuclear Power Development. He had good health almost until the end, celebrating his birthday by cycling 80 kilometres one afternoon last June. He also enjoyed meeting with former colleagues at the Nuclear Pioneers lunch last summer and celebrating his 80th birthday with family and friends in Scottsdale and in Heathcote. Stan had a strong faith and tried to help others in need throughout his life. He said recently that, “everything I am and everything I have is a gift from God.” A Celebration of Life will be held at the Kincardine Baptist Church on Saturday, February 4th, 2017 at 2:00 p.m., with Pastor Kenneth Craig officiating. Final resting place, Kincardine Cemetery. Stan’s family would like to thank all of the many caregivers and friends who gave their support in his last months and especially Dr. Jason Murray and Nurse Practitioner Hailey Walsh. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a charity of your choice or Kincardine Baptist Church. Arrangements entrusted to Davey-Linklater Funeral Home, 757 Princes Street, Kincardine, ON N2Z 1Z5, 519-396-2701.