Stanley T. Holmes, Jr.
Stanley Taylor Holmes Jr. passed away peacefully on May 21, 2022 from a recent medical condition. Family members were at his bedside at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. Stan was
97, and will be missed by all who knew him.
Stan was born March 16, 1925 in Philadelphia, PA to Ann K. Holmes (née Bossert) and Stanley T. Holmes Sr. He grew up in Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey. Stan graduated from Pennington School in New Jersey and from Lehigh University, earning a B.S. in Business
Administration. He served with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during World War II. Stan had fond memories of spending summers with his family in Ocean City, NJ where he met the love of his life in 1947. Stan married Gwendolyn M. Matthews in 1949. They spent 71 wonderful years together until her death in 2020. Stan and Gwen resided in the Lehigh Valley, raising four children in Allentown and Emmaus before retiring to Macungie. Stan achieved distinction
during his career in life insurance and financial investments. He was president of the Lehigh Valley Chapter of Chartered Life Underwriters and a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table. Stan was devoted to his family and to serving his community. He twice chaired the Lehigh County Red Cross blood program and for several years was chairman of the Allentown Red Cross. He supported the Special Olympics and the Allentown Rescue Mission, and took his turn ringing a bell for the Salvation Army at Christmas. Stan and Gwen were actively engaged as sacristans at the Emmaus Moravian Church. Among Stan's favorite community service relationships were those forged through the Kiwanis Club. He could coach a Little League team, plan a pancake breakfast, and handle leadership responsibilities that included Kiwanis chapter president and regional lieutenant governor. The Emmaus chapter recently honored him for 61 years of full attendance. As a Lehigh graduate and proud member of the Chi Psi fraternity, Stan was Class ['48] Correspondent for 40 years and received an alumnus award from the university. He was an avid fan of Lehigh wrestling and football. Stan loved baseball and had encyclopedic knowledge of the game. He never gave up on the Phillies and, in recent years, rooted for the Iron Pigs. Stan also enjoyed camping trips with Gwen and the kids. A regular at the Allentown YMCA, he swam for distance, not speed, and could crack jokes with the best. Stan was
preceded in death by his beloved Gwennie and is survived by their children: Stanley III [wife Becky; daughter Dulce]; Sally Holmes Shirley [husband Mike; daughter Samantha, son Clark (wife Melissa)]; Jeanette Fiumenero [husband Tony; stepchildren Shannon, Alasia, Adrienne, Emily]; Wesley [wife Judy; stepchildren Blake,
Travis (dec'd)]. He is also survived by his dear friend and cousin Frank J. Holcombe, III [wife Billie; son Stuart and daughter Kimberly]. A viewing is set for 7-9 PM this Friday, May 27 at the Schantz Funeral Home in Emmaus, with a memorial service to follow on Saturday, May
28, 1 PM at the Emmaus Moravian Church. Stan will be laid to rest beside Gwendolyn at the Spring Brook, PA cemetery. Charitable contributions may be made to the Stanley T. Holmes Scholarship Fund at Emmaus High School c/o Emmaus Kiwanis Club, to Lehigh University's Office of Development and Alumni Relations, or to the charity of your choice.