In Loving Memory of Lawrence Alan Stanley
December 1, 1947 – June 21, 2026
Lawrence Alan “Larry” Stanley passed away peacefully at his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on June 21, 2026, at the age of 78. Born on December 1, 1947, in Glens Falls, New York, Larry lived a life marked by curiosity, faith, humor, and steadfast devotion to those he loved.
Larry spent his earliest years in Tahawus, New York, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks. As his father, an engineer for PPG, helped establish pigment plants around the country, the family moved often before settling in Savannah, Georgia. There, a football injury during his final high school game ended his hopes of attending Georgia Tech on scholarship, leading him instead to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).
Larry’s remarkable curiosity emerged early. He won the Georgia State Science Fair with a project on Fibonacci numbers that amazed the judges. His brother Richard, later a mathematics professor at MIT, joked that Larry solved a problem because he never knew it was considered unsolvable. The experience led him to the National Youth Science Camp and sparked a lifelong fascination with computers.
Raised in a Jewish family, Larry questioned deeply from an early age. He chose not to become Bar Mitzvah because he wanted to learn more about Jesus. At RPI, he and Mary Jane attended a Sunday school class led by their German professor. Through the hospitality of church members and many conversations with Pastor Glen, his wife Joan, and their family, Larry found a welcoming place to ask questions and explore his faith. During his junior year, he became a Christian, a decision that shaped the rest of his life.
It was also at RPI that Larry met the love of his life, Mary Jane. Their friendship grew through walks around campus, unexpected encounters with skunks, and sledding on the nearby golf course during finals week.
Larry was known for his quick wit, dry humor, and ability to make friends wherever he went. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend who listened well, offered thoughtful advice, and delighted in making others laugh. Larry’s stubborn insistence on excellence, masked beneath a delightfully cantankerous exterior, taught his family how to laugh through frustration and find motivation in the strangest places. On bright, cloudless mornings, he would announce, “Be careful—it’s snowing outside.” When reminded the sky was clear, he would simply smile and reply, “It’s snowing somewhere.”
Faith remained the cornerstone of Larry’s life. For 28 years, he served as a Stephen Minister caregiver at Bethel Lutheran Church, founded the Up & Adam Bible Study, and affectionately named a favorite gathering place “Curmudgeon Corner.” Many at Bethel, especially the children, knew him as “Grumpy Grandpa,” the beloved character he portrayed in Kidtricity Sunday School skits and children’s ministry videos. Beneath the gruff character was a man of deep faith, gentle compassion, and a joyful desire to share God’s love.
Larry leaves behind a family who loved him deeply and countless friends whose lives were enriched by his kindness, wisdom, humor, and unwavering faith. Though he will be profoundly missed, his legacy lives on in the lives he touched, the laughter he shared, and the enduring reminder that even on the sunniest day, “it’s snowing somewhere.”