Stanley Cornelius Strong

Stanley Cornelius Strong was born on March 4,1931 to Stanislaus & Mary (Doughty) Strong in Milan OH. He completed his life on earth surrounded by family on April 24, 2026.

The oldest of 4 children, he had 3 sisters. Stan attended St. Paul Catholic School in Norwalk, Ohio, grades 1-12, graduating in 1949. He married Marcella Matelski in September 1952. She preceded him in 2012. He & Mom were members of St. Edward's Catholic Church. Dad was a long-time member of the Knights of Columbus.

He joined the USAF & served from 1951-1955 as a Flight Mechanic & Engineer. One of the planes he worked on was the Enola Gay. He served in the Korean War, telling us as kids that he remembered bringing food & medical supplies to war victims in eastern Europe, namely Gdansk, Poland & transferring wounded for medical treatment.

He fulfilled a dream by earning his pilot's license. Dad remembered Mom waving a lantern on the runway at night to help him land the plane. Another dream was fulfilled by owning his own TV repair business in Norwalk, Ohio, Nor-Mil TV & Appliance Repair, in 1957. He recalled bringing TVs into the local hospital rooms for a $5 daily rental.

In 1961 the entire family, now including 4 children, Barbara, Debra, Ron & Larry, moved to Chatsworth, CA where Stan worked with RCA as a TV appliance tech. Their fifth child, Sharen, was born in Chatsworth. He flew with the Civil Air Patrol for years. Back then they had to buy their own uniforms!

The family moved to a small farm in Logan, OR. Dad then went to work in electrical repair for JC Penney's. Dad & Mom purchased their own 18-wheeler. Although they enjoyed the time on the road, they realized they liked to be home better!

Dad was a friendly man & enjoyed volunteering as a docent at the Salem hospital for several years, greeting & helping folks looking for assistance. If there was one thing Dad loved besides his family it was aviation! He volunteered at Evergreen Aviation Museum for many years. The biggest smile we ever saw on Dad's face was when he purchased an airplane at 83 years of age! He spent hundreds of hours taking lessons & in recreational flying. He flew us to the center of Mt. St. Helens 3 years after it exploded. He was active with local Remote-Control Airplane (RC) enthusiasts. Stan enjoyed bowling, pinochle, air shows, square dancing, gardening, family camping, long drives in the country & not having to cook!

Dad always provided for & protected his family, with never a bad word about anyone. He also liked road trips with Barbara, drag racing with Ron, eating with Debra, & working on cars with Larry. In 2017 Stan took a 2-week trip to Poland with Sharen, where he visited the home towns of his grandparents & places he'd visited while in the Air Force. He also took a 2015 Canadian Railroad trip & in 2016 visited Hawaii.

Stan was preceded in death by his parents & two sisters, Audrey & Norma. His youngest sister, Mary Ann Parish, lives in Canal Winchester OH. He is survived by his children: Barbara Strong, Ron (Renea) Strong, Debra (Myron) Snyder, Larry (Denise) Strong, Sharen Strong (Dan Matthews), six grandchildren & thirteen great grandchildren.

A memorial will be held Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at Saint Edward Catholic Church, 5303 River Rd N Keizer OR, with Rosary at 1:30 PM, Funeral Mass at 2:00 PM & a reception following.

Our sincere thanks to Keizer Avamere staff for compassionate care to Dad the past eight years & to Serenity Hospice.

Donations may be made to:

St Edward Catholic Church, (w/memo for Knights of Columbus Council #10594), 5303 River Rd N, Keizer, OR 97303

or for foster children to Project 48, 2505 SE 11th Ave, #122, Portland OR 97202.

Cards for the family may be sent to Keizer Funeral Chapel, 4365 River Road N. Keizer, OR 97303