Stanley “Stan” Elmer Coon, Jr., 91
Stanley “Stan” Elmer Coon, Jr., of Plover, passed away on December 24, 2020, in Wausau at age 91.
Stanley was born on November 4, 1929, to Stanley Elmer Coon and the former Jessica Motts Carey in Winchester, CT as the Great Depression began. He was one of 11 children and the oldest son.
He is a United States Marine, honorably serving in the Corps from 1946-1949. Following his military service, he headed west by train toward California, intending to ultimately make it to Alaska. An acquaintance on his trip (also a former service member) mentioned that there were possible openings at a company called Briggs & Stratton in Milwaukee, so he diverted there.
Thirty-eight years later, Stanley retired from that same company having worked in a division that prepared incoming engine parts for assembly. While at Briggs & Stratton, he met a pretty young woman named Carol, who worked in the next aisle over.
Stanley and Carol were married in Milwaukee on April 28, 1962, at a courthouse by a justice-of-the-peace. Between 1962 and 1967, Stan and Carol brought four beautiful children into the world, two daughters and two sons. The Coon family resided in Milwaukee in a home he built with his own hands, until the mid-1990s, and then migrated into the central Wisconsin area, returning to Carol’s childhood location.
A devoted Green Bay Packer fan, Stanley routinely enjoyed a cold beer (or two) while cheering on his favorite team. In his spare time, and especially in retirement, he loved walking his dogs Reno and Harley, riding his bike, woodworking, doing yard work at his different homes over the years, and lots of other activities, full of life well into his 80’s. Most often, he treasured the special relationships he shared with his wife, children, and everyone in his extended family, where the Coon family home was always the center of his world.
Stan served his community including maintaining the grounds at Saint Patrick’s Cemetery in Lanark, where he will be interred sometime in 2021.
Devout Catholics, Stanley and Carol were parishioners at Saint Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church (Milwaukee, WI), Saint Patrick’s & Saint Maximillian-Kolbe Catholic Churches (Lanark Township, WI), and most recently, Saint Bronislava Parish (Plover, WI). He lived out his faith daily as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend to so many. He will be dearly missed.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his 10 siblings: sisters Shirley, Gladys, Wilma, Faith, and Lorraine; brothers Charlie, John, Kenneth, Lawrence, and Almon.
Stanley is survived by his darling wife of almost 59 years, the former Carol Jean Meronek of Lanark Township, WI; four children: daughter Coleen Hein (Plover, WI), son Michael Coon (Lisa) (Marshfield, WI), daughter Cathleen Arcuri (Don) (Colorado Springs, CO), and son Sean Coon (Wautoma, WI); five grandchildren: Shannon Coon (Nick), Ashley Lanting (Skyler), Ryan Coon, Cody Hein and Jordyn Gard (Tyler); five great-grandchildren: Gavin Hein, Nathan Coon, Ethan Hein, Rylee Lanting, and Jackson Lanting; numerous brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, and many beloved and cherished friends.
Funeral services for Stanley will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday, December 31, 2020, at the Plover Shuda Funeral Home, 2400 Plover Road in Plover.
Friends and family will gather to share memories from 2 p.m. Thursday until the time of service at the Plover Funeral Home.
Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.shudafuneral.com.