Oro Valley Councilmember Mary Snider, who’s been friends with Stan since 2004, called him the “White House photographer” of the town. His daughters both attended Ironwood Ridge High School, and in 2002, Stan began documenting school events—not just taking pictures of his own kids, but catching meaningful moments in the lives of many families, and sharing those photos with the community.
“He would volunteer his help, his provocative thinking and his camera,” Snider said.
A hand in many Oro Valley events, Stan was awarded Volunteer of the Year in 2015. He tutored math at IRHS. And he documented local high school athletic events, and he took a ton of photos at IRHS Project Graduation. A program transplanted to Oro Valley by Snider, Project Graduation provides a safe, all-night hang out for about 1,200 kids from three local high schools on graduation night.
Snider remembers Stan showing up at the monthly planning meetings with a “dinner box.” He came straight from work, but wasn’t going to let a little thing like needing to eat get in the way. He would sit there with his dinner, listen and ask the most thought-provoking questions, Snider said.
“And as a result, we created a better project,” she said. “These are the kinds of thoughtful, consultative projects he did throughout the community.”
Stan was raised in San Fernando Valley, California. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor’s of Science in Aerospace Engineering and a Master’s in Applied Mechanics. He worked 35 years as an aerospace engineer in defense contracting, first at Hughes Aircraft Company, in Los Angeles, then at Raytheon, in Tucson. He retired in 2011.
Stan and Dana got married (despite her being a UCLA graduate) in 1979. They met on a blind date in ‘76. An hour into their date, Dana’s brother showed up, and the two men spent the rest of the evening talking sports.
“And I’m like, ‘Hello, I’m here,’” Dana said, recalling the story at Stan’s memorial, on Jan. 10, at Vistoso Funeral Home. “So they bonded on sports right away, and I knew Stan was a keeper.”
He and Dana moved their family to Oro Valley in June, 1994 for the small town feel, safety and good schools, after loads of research, in true Winetrobe fashion.
Stan’s community contributions didn’t stop with local high schools and sporting events. He also made huge contributions to the Oro Valley Police Department. He went through the Oro Valley Police Citizens Academy and became head of the Oro Valley Police Alumni Association, programs and groups that educate and enhance relations between the community and OVPD. He also sat on the OVPD chief advisory board.
When the Ford Crown Vics were retired as the official OVPD vehicles, Stan did an in-depth study and determined the best replacement was the more durable Tahoe. His research was later referenced in the adoption of Tahoes in police forces in the state of New York and in Ontario, Canada, according to OVPD Police Chief Daniel Sharp.
With Stan’s engineering background and analytical mind, he was the logical person to advise the force on what cars they should get, said OVPD Commander Kara Riley.
“He was so detail oriented, never missed anything,” she said.
Stan was at every event the department was involved in. Everyone knew him, and he always offered his compelling feedback and perspective.
“He made me a better leader,” Riley said. “He just made me a better person.”
Stan was the photographer for Shop with a Cop, the Citizens Academy, OVPD promotions and the Oro Valley Holiday Parade. He also volunteered at National Night Out, a family-oriented crime and drug prevention event.
He was “keeper of the photos,” Riley said. And at the end of every event, he sent her photos to use on social media and flyers. Stan was quiet and humble, and when he spoke, you knew it was going to be important, Riley said.
Snider said Stan believed everybody has a responsibility to be involved in their community, and he didn’t skimp on his beliefs. His impact was very broad, as was reflected in the turnout at his memorial.
Over 200 people filled the seats in the Vistoso Funeral Home chapel, while others stood in the back, spilling out into the hall. Many wore the gold and cardinal colors of USC. Oro Valley Mayor Satish Hiremath, town council members and the chief of police were just a few of Stan’s many friends in attendance.
The OVPD Honor Guard solemnly stood next to the urn, as Stan’s longtime friend and work colleague Eric Borg addressed the congregation.
“Stan was truly a dedicated husband, father and friend,” he said. “Our lives have all been impacted by his love, concern and willingness to make others’ lives better.”
His two grown daughters gave speeches about their father, which inspired a lot of tears and a lot of laughter, in equal amounts.
Carly, 27, remembered her dad’s love of telling stories of his youth—often the same stories over and over again—like when he added a coat of paint to his dad’s car, or the time he surprised his mom by injecting the lemons growing in their backyard with blue food coloring.
Stan could always answer his daughters’ questions, whether they were about the solar system or car problems.
“My dad loved my mom, my sister and me so much, but his first love was USC Trojan football, and you never forget your first love,” Carly said.
She joked about her dad being a Type A personality.
“He was funny, hard working and like every true Type A person, just a little uptight,” she said. “My dad had a big heart. He was caring, supportive and liked helping others, except maybe when it came to helping me with my math homework. At least one of us would always end up crying.”
Stan’s older daughter Hailey talked about how lucky she felt to have grown up in such a close and goofy family and about the last time she was with her dad, just the two of them, at a Trojan game in November.
“Naturally, there was a lot of frustration at the horrible play calling and stupid penalties,” Hailey said to knowing laughter. “But our Trojans pulled through and gave you a win for what would end up being your last SC game.”
Stan’s wife, family, many longtime friends and coworkers followed Stan’s daughters at the podium, sharing memories and jokes about Stan and what he meant in their lives.
“You’ve made an impact, a significant impact, in every community you’ve touched through your smarts, care, photography and dad jokes,” Hailey said. “I wish you could be here to see it. There’ll now be an empty chair at the dinner table, a blank space in our family photos and an empty seat at the coliseum.”
Frank G. Murphy, age 81, of Sutherlin, Oregon, passed away Monday, September 4, 2017. He was born January 31, 1936, in Cleveland, Ohio to Francis G. and Elizabeth M. Murphy.
