John "Tommy" Stanley, 93, of Apopka, FL was welcomed into the arms of Jesus on May 5, 2021.

He was born in Madisonville, KY to the late Robert Stanley and Mary Elizabeth Stanley. He served in the First Calvary Division, 27th Ordinance Division of the United States Army in Japan from 1946 to 1948. Upon returning from the war, he married Georgia on July 2, 1949.  They had three daughters, Belinda, Charlotte and Patty. Tommy was a hard worker who started out working in his father's sawmill as a child, ran a shovel in a coal mine and helped with his family's Case Tractor and LP Gas businesses. In 1965, Tommy decided to branch out on his own and moved his family to Cocoa Beach, Florida where he bought a Western Auto Store. Since it was close to the Kennedy Space Center, early astronauts and even Walter Cronkite frequented his store. Tommy and Georgia worked side by side in their business ventures, which included a Dairy Queen in Melbourne for a short time.  In 1971, they moved to Orlando, bought a struggling J & L Hardware, and had it making a profit within six months. His customers knew he would give them good, honest advice on their hardware needs and offered great customer service. It was a real old fashioned hardware store. He and Georgia worked there 27 years before retiring. Tommy was a believer in Christ and was a member of First Baptist Church of Orlando. He was a great example to his children on how to live to the fullest. He was a Shriner and was part of the Roadrunners, a group that drove go carts in zippy, precision routines in parades to the delight of the crowds. Tommy was known for his friendliness, tender heart, mischievous sense of humor, his ability to fix just about anything, his deep love of his family and his devotion and care for his wife, especially in their later years.  His grandchildren remember him most for his sense of humor, storytelling and proving that he could still climb a tree when he was 90 years old.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Nell.

Survivors include his wife of almost seventy-two years, Georgia; brother, Doug Stanley; daughters, Belinda, Charlotte and Patty; six grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 20, 2021 at Nebo Cemetery in Nebo, KY, with military honors conducted by the Hopkins County Honor Guard, followed by a reception and luncheon at Nebo Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 230 S. Bernard St. Nebo, KY 42441. Harris Funeral Home in Madisonville is in charge of the arrangements.