Stanley Churchill

Stanley Jon Churchill, 60, was called by his Heavenly Father after a short but fierce battle with cancer at Sanford Health, surrounded by his family on December 9, 2023.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM, Tuesday, December 19 at Pro-Cathedral of St. Mary, 806 E Broadway Ave, Bismarck.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 PM with a rosary/vigil service starting at 7:00PM, Monday, December 18 at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck.

Burial will be held at St. Mary's Cemetery, Bismarck. Following the burial, the family invites you to join them for lunch and fellowship at Pro-Cathedral of St. Mary.

Stan was born on May 3, 1963, in Phoenix, AZ prior to his family moving back to Bismarck in 1969.  He attended St. Anne and Cathedral for grade school before continuing to St. Mary’s Central High School. Since hockey was important to Stan, he decided to attend Bismarck High School so he could continue to play. After graduation in 1982, he and three of his closest friends moved to Phoenix, AZ. In Phoenix, Stan was able to find his passion as an arborist which he continued throughout his life. Being an arborist wasn’t a job to Stan and if you asked him about a tree or his opinion on trees, you secretly brought him joy.

In 1991, Lody became part of his life. This change, along with the addition of children, inspired Stan to move his family “home” to Bismarck in 1998. Shortly after moving to Bismarck, Lody and Stan were married in 1999. Stan’s passion stayed with him, and he started Advanced Tree Service in 2001.

He enjoyed life in many ways, his favorite place on the planet was the family cabin. Many of his memories at the cabin revolved around family, especially his father. The phrase “no place like the cabin” was his mantra. In his later years, taking his grandchildren for Ranger rides and to the pond seemed like his way of reliving his past experiences of being a kid at the lake.

A man of few emotional words did not have to say much for you to know that family was paramount. He always found a way to bring us together, keep us together, and be stoic, all the way until the end. Family, to Stan, included employees, close friends and we shall not exclude, “man’s best friend.” Stan, aka “The Dog Whisperer,” found much joy in being around all his “family.” Occasionally, you could find Stan talking to dogs as if they were human and could understand what he was saying.

Absolute, gruff (at times) and love don’t often fit in the same sentence. For Stan, this was his life. It applied to everything and anyone that impacted his life. He may not have shown his love in traditional ways, but those around him knew that if he was “hard on them”, he loved them. A loving son, husband, brother, father, grandfather, uncle, employer and friend has been taken from us all too soon. His voice, singing, grunts and phrases will forever be memorialized in our consciousness.

Stan is survived by his mother, Patricia (Moore) Churchill, Bismarck; wife, Lody, Bismarck; son, Ricky (Michelle) Daou and their children Isabella and Kyra; son, Albert (Susan) Daou and their children, Christopher and Michael, son, Marcus (Katie) Churchill, son, Mathew Churchill, all in Bismarck; siblings, Libby (Greg) Meske, Colorado, James (Peggy) Churchill, Connecticut, Brian (Tammy) Churchill, Bismarck, Christopher Churchill, Texas, Steve (Dawn) Churchill, Bismarck, Sarah (Neil) Burley, Hunter, ND, Susan(Monte) Kubas, South Heart, ND,  Dan (Heather) Churchill, Bismarck; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and 23 nieces and nephews.

Stan is preceded in death by his father, James Roger Churchill and grandparents, James and Libby Moore, and Mary and Stan Churchill.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you memorialize Stan by planting a tree, continuing your patronage of Advanced Tree Service or donating to a local charity of your choice.