John Cecil Stanley, 87 of Canton, entered into eternal rest on Friday, October 27, 2023, at The Phoenix at Union Hill.
John was born the third son of 5 boys at Fort Sheridan AFB, Kansas. He was a military science graduate of West Point Military Academy, New York in 1960. John served as a First Lt in the United States Air Force assigned to the 548th Strategic Missile Squadron. After being honorably discharged after 3 years of service, he went to work for the Army Corp of Engineers as a Finance Project Manager in Jacksonville, FL. In 1977, he moved to Waverly, OH to work for the Department of Energy until his retirement in 1984.
As fate would have it, John ended up in the hospital with the flu. It was there that he met Carole, a nurse in the Air Force. They soon married in 1963 and moved to Jacksonville, FL. They were married 14 years and had 3 children.
In 1987, John was ordained a Roman Catholic Deacon in the Diocese of Knoxville, TN. He also served in the Diocese of San Bernadino, CA and the Archdiocese of Atlanta, GA where he settled in Canton, GA and served at Our Lady of LaSalette Church for 12 years.
Deacon John joined the Knights of Columbus Council in 2013. He attended many meetings where he gave the opening prayer and spiritual reflections. On reflections he combined a deep sense of spiritual awareness with a unique style of wit which allowed him to connect with his audience. John was a chaplain for the Knights of Columbus and St Vincent de Paul Society.
During his 12 years of service as a deacon at Our Lady of La Salette Church, John led a women's bible study and was active in their Vacation Bible School. He also provided communion to the home bound and was the presider at funerals, burials and communion services. Making a difference in the lives of so many for 35 years, he celebrated his retirement with family and friends at Our Lady of La Salette Catholic Church in Canton, GA in January 2022.

A funeral mass will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, November 4, 2023, at Our Lady of La Salette Catholic Church. Father Mark Starr will officiate. The family will receive friends following the service at the church.
John was preceded in death by his son, Michael Stanley. He is survived by his son, Kenneth Stanley of Jacksonville, Florida; daughter, Alison Stanley of Canton, Georgia; grandchild, Samantha Stanley; and brothers, Ted Stanley of California and Tom Stanley of California.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Mr. Stanley's memory to The Knights of Columbus, Our Lady of La Salette Catholic Church, or the St. Vincent de Paul Society.