Stanley J. Ayres

Stanley James Ayres, age 93, died January 24, 2015 at Oakwood Villa, Altoona, surrounded by his family. Stanley was born April 9, 1921, in Eau Claire, WI to William H. and Minnie (Drinkwine) Ayres. His boyhood was spent on a farm in Rock Falls. When Stan was fourteen, his father died, after which his siblings and their spouses helped him through the rest of his teens. He graduated from Eau Claire Senior High School in 1940. Later he joined the Army and attended the Southern Signal Corps School at Camp Murphy in Florida where he learned about radar maintenance. He was sent to the Aleutian Islands where he was stationed until the end of the war. After the war, he worked for Western Electric in St. Paul. He met Audree Dickinson immediately after returning to Eau Claire following his discharge from the Army. They were married in 1946 and shared the next 68 years together. After their first son was born, they moved to be closer to their families, living in Caryville for a few years and then in Eau Claire. Stan worked for Electric Home Headquarters, and then Bushland Wholesale before becoming the audio-visual technician for the Eau Claire School System. Stan became a member of Immaculate Conception Church in 1952, where he was an usher and did a beautiful job as one of the very first lectors. He enjoyed his volunteer work with the Eau Claire Police Department, which he did for 27 years, and loved telling stories about his experiences as a Captain for three different police chiefs. Stan delighted in the trips he and Audree took with her parents and the many hours of playing cribbage with her father. One of his favorite activities was mowing the lawn on his riding lawn tractor. After retirement, he became an avid golfer and played often with a group of about a dozen men. The men and their wives became good friends, sharing many good times together. They all went to Gulf Shores on the beaches of Alabama, where they were able to golf during January and February. They became a tightly knit group. Stan is survived by his wife and 3 sons, Michael (Sally) of Eau Claire, Bruce (Ilo) of Colfax, Matthew (Rosemary) of Hanover, NH and 2 daughters, Jeanne Skoug and Susan Ayres, plus a “third daughter,” Debra Lang, all of Eau Claire. He is also survived by grandchildren, Liberty Aaron, Darse and Luke Ayres, Zoe Peterson, Sarah and Benjamin Ayres, and great-grandchildren Heather and Jordan Aaron, Bailey and Dylan Ayres and Lucy Ayres. He was very proud of his children and their accomplishments. Stan will also be missed by many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by four sisters, Gladys (Glenn) Day, Marian (Chester) Wheeler, Lyndall (Allen) DeMars, Frances (Frank) Wiseman and two brothers, William F. (Rose) and Wayne (Alice) Ayres. The family would like to thank the staff of Oakwood Villa for their exceptional care, kindness and respect for Stanley and his family during this difficult time. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, January 29, 2015, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 1712 Highland Ave. in Eau Claire, with Father Don Meuret officiating and Father Bill Menzel con-celebrating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the Mass, Thursday, at the church. Burial, with military honors conducted by American Legion Post 53, will be in Forest Hill Cemetery in Chippewa Falls.

Service Information

Cemetery

Forest Hill - Chippewa Falls
514 East Columbia St.
Chippewa Falls WI 54729

Visitation

Thursday, January 29 2015
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
1712 Highland Ave.
Eau Claire WI 54701

Mass of Christian Burial

Thursday, January 29 2015
11:00 AM

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
1712 Highland Ave.
Eau Claire WI 54701