Jack Stanly was born on August 8,1926, in Leesville. At 17 years old, already a college student, he volunteered for the Navy. During World War II, in 1944-45, he served on a Destroyer Escort, in the Pacific. He and and his wife, Rebecca
met at LSU and were married in 1948.
His 42 years of teaching at the college level include 2 decades each in Louisiana and Texas. Years in Louisiana were spent as an assistant at LSU and as professor and administrator at Nicholls State
University. Holding the Masters and Doctoral degrees in Agricultural Education with a minor in Agricultural Economics, he joined SFA in 1969 as professor and chairman of the Dept. of Agriculture.
As an active member and president of
two national organizations in the field of agriculture, he was able to travel to annual meetings all over the United States and into Canada. In Washington D.C., he was appointed as a congressional lobbyist for three years for the education section of
the budget for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
As a member of the accrediting committee for “The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools,” he was assigned to six universities. Another project was his involvement with the
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, preparing and publishing “The Economic and Educational Impact of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.”
At SFA he was chairman of the Dept. of Agriculture and professor of agricultural economics from
1969 until he requested to step down to full-time teaching in 1985. While he was teaching at SFA, he was awarded with the Alumni Association’s Distinguished Professor Award in 1989 and one of the two Regents Professor Awards in 1990. At his
retirement in 1991, he was honored as a Professor Emeritus.
Jack was an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church. He sang in the choir for 40 years. He was chairman of the selection of the organ committee and building the
education wing. He was one of the organizers of Security National Bank serving as a member of the Board for fourteen years before the bank was purchased by Regions. He was inducted into Nacogdoches Rotary in 1970.
Jack is survived by
his loving wife of 61 years, Rebecca Slack Stanly.
He is also survived by four daughters and their families: Becky King and husband Vince King of Denton, Texas; Sarah Stanly Hill of Lewisville, Texas; Elizabeth Driggers and husband Tom
of Reston,Virginia; Ruth Salvaggio and husband Charlie of Columbia, Maryland; nine grandchildren and two great grandsons.
He is also survived by his brother, Finly Stanly of Leesville and his sister, Clara Spence of
DeRidder.
A Memorial service will be held on Thursday, September 3, at 11 a.m. in the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nacogdoches, TX. Reverend Steve Newton will officiate. The burial was held at Castor Baptist Church in Leesville
on Wednesday at 11 a.m. Visitation was held on Monday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Cason-Monk Funeral home in Nacogdoches.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Westminster Presbyterian church Music Fund, the
Westminster Presbyterian Church Mission Fund or the Rebecca & T.J. Stanly fund for Student Development and Awards in Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin.