Arden Patricia Stichler Stanley passed away on October 25, 2015 at the age of 82 after a long and valiant struggle with Alzheimer's Disease. Known as both Arden (or Ardie) and Pat (or Patsie) to her friends and family, Mrs. Stanley is survived by her husband of 60 years, Robert W. Stanley; 2 daughters, Suzanne Hurlow and Melinda Stanley; 2 sons-in-law, Dan Hurlow and Bill Ehrenstrom; 2 grandsons, Brendan and Jacob Ehrenstrom; and her sister, Judie Stichler and husband Bruce Albert. Pat lived a remarkable life of faith, selflessness, and creativity. She was a loving wife, mother, sister, and "GrandAr." She was born in Reading, PA and received an Associate's degree from Shenandoah Conservatory of Music. Early in her life, she was a professional musician, and she continued playing the marimba for pleasure into her later years. She also was an elementary teacher, a business owner, and an administrative assistant. For many years, she owned 'Arden's,' a gift and craft shop in Leesburg, and she was President of Stichler Leaf Manufacturing Co., Inc. in Reading, PA. She also served as assistant to the Head of Finance at Dyn Corporation International, Inc. Pat was an amazing woman with many talents and gifts. She will be missed.


Below is an article placed in the Heritage Hall Family Council Connection:

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, two college students fell in love. She, a musically talented coed with flaming red hair, caught the attention and then the heart of her smitten beau. After they graduated from Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music, Arden Patricia Stichler, from Reading, PA, and Robert Stanley, from Salem, VA, married in 1955—and they've been together ever since.

They headed to Detroit right after they were married so Bob could begin work on his graduate degree in Music Education at Wayne State University. Although they shared a love of music, Pat--Bob says--was always much more musically talented than he was. As a child, she had played the bassoon and the piano before switching to the marimba. Her talent for that instrument was clearly apparent when—at age 14--she won first place on Ted Mack's radio amateur hour, playing "The Lady of Spain" for a nationwide audience. After that, she went on to win two more talent shows and a scholarship to college.

Pat played professionally while she was in college, but gave up performing after she and Bob moved to Michigan and they became parents. She had worked as an administrative assistant at McLouth Steel until her daughters—Suzanne and Mindi--were born. Then she stayed home to raise them until they started school—and to share with them her time and talents. It was time well spent, says Bob, because her time at home with the girls helped make the Stanley family the close-knit one it is today.

After they moved to Leesburg in the 1960s, Pat went back to work, making use of the business degree she had earned in college. When her father died, she took over the administrative side of the family business, Stichler Leaf Manufacturing, based in Reading, PA, which made high-quality confectionary decorations and hand-cut veined paper leaves.

And, combining her business acumen with her talent for arts and crafts, Pat had three shops, at various times, in Leesburg, where she sold crafts and taught how-to classes to her customers. Both Suzanne and Mindi remember helping their mother in her shops; Mindi by teaching classes, and Suzanne by making store samples. "Once she handed me a craft book," says Suzanne, "and told me, 'I need this kind of cross-stitch sample for the store.' I made it, and I've been cross-stitching ever since." Pat also used her arts and crafts skills as a Girl Scout leader, and stored a stockpile of craft items in her basement.

After the girls went off to college, Pat worked for many years as the administrative assistant to the head of finance at DYNCorp in McLean, where she made many wonderful friends, along with her forever Leesburg friends, the Sowards, who she's still in contact with.

Everyone in the Stanley family has the music gene, if there is such a thing. All of them—even Bob--learned to play the marimba, and other instruments as well. Suzanne, who inherited her mother's flaming red hair, plays the flute and became a band director; Mindi plays the clarinet, and her two sons play the trumpet and trombone. When quizzed about how his daughters became so musically inclined, Bob doesn't speculate about the science of genetic inheritance, but says simply: "Pat patted the girls when they were in her womb and sang to them; that's why they're so musical."

As Bob, Suzanne, and Mindi recount other memories of their talented, capable, and artistic spouse and mother, her selflessness and thoughtfulness toward others stand out. Citing one example, Mindi recalls how Pat became almost like a second mom to the neighbors' two daughters after their own mother died.

"Mom always put others before herself," says Mindi.

"Always," Suzanne concurs.

"Even me," says Bob. "And, thank God, since I don't know how I would have survived without her."

Perhaps it's Pat's generosity of spirit that helped create the close bonds that unite the Stanleys--Bob and Pat; Suzanne and her husband Dan; and Mindi, her husband Bill, and their sons Brendan and Jacob—into such a caring and closely knit family. "Mom probably always thought that having this family and us is the most important thing she ever did," says Mindi. And Pat is just as important to them. Bob visits her every day; Suzanne spends an entire day with her once a week; and flying in from Texas, Mindi comes almost every month, and grandsons Brendan and Jacob come a few times each year.

Reflecting on their 58 years of marriage, Bob observes: "Life started when we met, and it's been a good life. In fact, it still is." You can see this for yourself if you happen to wander into the courtyard garden at Heritage Hall: There they'll be—Pat and Bob--sitting quietly side by side, shaded from the sun, holding hands, and dozing. Seemingly as much in love today as they were when they married 58 years ago. ________________________________________

This profile, written by Paula Grant, is based on interviews with Pat and Bob Stanley, Suzanne Stanley Hurlow, and Melinda Stanley. The interviews were conducted at Heritage Hall in August and September 2013.


Family will receive friends on Saturday, October 31, 2015 from 11:00am to 12:00pm at Colonial Funeral Home of Leesburg, 201 Edwards Ferry Rd, Leesburg, VA  20176 where services will begin at 12:00pm.  Interment will follow at Union Cemetery, King Street, Leesburg, VA  20176.

Memorial donations may be made in Pat's name to the Resident Aid Account, Heritage Hall Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, 122 Morven Park Road, Leesburg, VA 20176.