Mike Stanley
May 5, 1948 — March 24, 2024
Michael Ralph Stanley, age 75 of Harlan, Iowa rode off into the sunset on his own terms Sunday evening, March 24th, 2024. Mike leaves behind a sweeping legacy of well-struck golf shots, slightly off-color jokes, and unrivaled support for high school athletics and academics in the state of Iowa.
Mike is survived by his endlessly patient and understanding wife of 54 years, Michaele. He is also survived by a trio of quiet, over-achieving six-and-a-half foot tall sons Sean (Mary), Jim (Amy), and Dave Stanley, sisters Patricia (John) Bekken and Lisa (Aaron) Elliott, grandchildren Mackenzie (Jackie) and Graham Stanley, as well as a lifetime's worth of students, athletes, coaches, teachers, colleagues, and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents Barbara and James, and his younger brother Wayne.
Mike was born in Hamburg, Iowa and grew up in the thriving metropolis of Sidney, Iowa. From a young age, Mike was involved in the local saddle club and Little Britches rodeos along with his brother Wayne. This kindled what was to be a lifelong love of all things "cowboy" for Mike. He was very involved in sports throughout junior high and high school, excelling in football, basketball, and baseball. It wasn't uncommon for Mike to put up hay for local farmers during the day and still have enough energy to pitch a baseball game in the evening. During this time, he also began running track and particularly excelled at hurdles, which caused untold horrors to his knees but built a foundation and dedication to track & field that would endure for the rest of his life.
After high school, Mike attended Tarkio College in Missouri and earned his teaching degree while playing basketball and running track for the Owls. In addition to an athletic scholarship, Mike helped pay his way through school by typing papers and ironing laundry for his fellow classmates, a skill he managed to conveniently forget by the time he met his future wife Michaele. Mike and Michaele had known each other since the 7th grade, both attending school in Sidney. Though they didn't really like each other at the time, they met up again at the county fair dance the summer before their junior year of college and decided that maybe they were right for each other after all.
Following graduation, Mike took a job teaching high school English and coaching boys' basketball at Carson-Macedonia, and tied the knot with Michaele that fall. He moved on to Midland High School in eastern Iowa where they welcomed their first son Sean, and then to Underwood where he also took the reins as athletic director. Twins Jim and Dave came along and rounded out the Stanley family to five, and Mike pursued his Master's Degree at Northwest Missouri State which led to a position as principal at Malvern a few years later, followed by the same position in Bedford.
Mike took an unexpected and much-needed detour from education after Bedford, becoming a tour bus driver for a few years. While this may have seemed like an odd choice, in a lot of ways it fit him like a glove. He'd always had a passion for driving trucks, buses, construction equipment, almost anything with wheels. You can never predict how a midlife crisis will hit you, but Mike truly enjoyed traveling the country and interacting with the tour groups he shuttled around. His favorite destination was Branson, Missouri but he loved to tell the story of the group he took to Oklahoma to see a working cattle ranch, driving the bus right out into the pasture and almost getting stuck just to see a longhorn steer up close.
With three boys in college, practicality took over and Mike decided that driving a bus, while enjoyable, simply wouldn't pay the bills long-term. He then took a job as principal and athletic director at A-H-S-T in Avoca, a position he held until he retired in 2004. Though his classroom education days were behind him, Mike continued to work as a starter and official for track & field, basketball, and softball events throughout Iowa, serving at over 30 Iowa State Track Meets, the Drake Relays, and numerous junior high, high school, and collegiate sporting events over the course of almost 50 years. He is a member of the Iowa Association of Track Officials Hall of Fame, the Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, and the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association Hall of Fame. He was also just the 16th recipient in 87 years of the prestigious Jack North Award in 2015 for his service to the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union.
Mike and Michaele moved to Harlan to enjoy retirement and were able to spend more time with their kids and grandkids. While he maintained a fairly gruff exterior, being a grandpa changed Mike more than anything else in his life. He took vacations with the family to places like Key West, the Pacific coast of Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and the mountains of Wyoming, where the cowboy got to ride a horse one last time with his daughter-in-law and granddaughter. If you'd have asked, he probably would have preferred to go out this way, slumped over in the saddle with his boots still on. However, Mike continued with his passion and commitment to starting track meets, and it would end up being a meet at Iowa State where life, time, and circumstance would finally catch up to him. An accidental fall onto the track from the starter's stand resulted in a spinal cord injury which put Mike in the hospital for the final two weeks of his life. Though he struggled with the injury and attempts at recovery, he had his family beside him every day for support. Family, more than anything else in his long and accomplished life, was the most important thing for Mike. He often said he was most at peace when his family was nearby and under the same roof. In fact, he spent most of the day before he died watching college basketball games with his three sons, laughing and telling jokes and wishing they would serve him a beer in his hospital room.
Mike Stanley lived his life with purpose, the way he wanted. He did what he loved, and loved what he did. He showed up when he was needed, and told you exactly what he thought, for better or worse. He leaves behind an amazing legacy, a grieving family, and a hole in the world that will never truly be filled.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the "Track Guy Foundation" https://www.trackguyfoundation.com/
Mike is survived by his endlessly patient and understanding wife of 54 years, Michaele. He is also survived by a trio of quiet, over-achieving six-and-a-half foot tall sons Sean (Mary), Jim (Amy), and Dave Stanley, sisters Patricia (John) Bekken and Lisa (Aaron) Elliott, grandchildren Mackenzie (Jackie) and Graham Stanley, as well as a lifetime's worth of students, athletes, coaches, teachers, colleagues, and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents Barbara and James, and his younger brother Wayne.
Mike was born in Hamburg, Iowa and grew up in the thriving metropolis of Sidney, Iowa. From a young age, Mike was involved in the local saddle club and Little Britches rodeos along with his brother Wayne. This kindled what was to be a lifelong love of all things "cowboy" for Mike. He was very involved in sports throughout junior high and high school, excelling in football, basketball, and baseball. It wasn't uncommon for Mike to put up hay for local farmers during the day and still have enough energy to pitch a baseball game in the evening. During this time, he also began running track and particularly excelled at hurdles, which caused untold horrors to his knees but built a foundation and dedication to track & field that would endure for the rest of his life.
After high school, Mike attended Tarkio College in Missouri and earned his teaching degree while playing basketball and running track for the Owls. In addition to an athletic scholarship, Mike helped pay his way through school by typing papers and ironing laundry for his fellow classmates, a skill he managed to conveniently forget by the time he met his future wife Michaele. Mike and Michaele had known each other since the 7th grade, both attending school in Sidney. Though they didn't really like each other at the time, they met up again at the county fair dance the summer before their junior year of college and decided that maybe they were right for each other after all.
Following graduation, Mike took a job teaching high school English and coaching boys' basketball at Carson-Macedonia, and tied the knot with Michaele that fall. He moved on to Midland High School in eastern Iowa where they welcomed their first son Sean, and then to Underwood where he also took the reins as athletic director. Twins Jim and Dave came along and rounded out the Stanley family to five, and Mike pursued his Master's Degree at Northwest Missouri State which led to a position as principal at Malvern a few years later, followed by the same position in Bedford.
Mike took an unexpected and much-needed detour from education after Bedford, becoming a tour bus driver for a few years. While this may have seemed like an odd choice, in a lot of ways it fit him like a glove. He'd always had a passion for driving trucks, buses, construction equipment, almost anything with wheels. You can never predict how a midlife crisis will hit you, but Mike truly enjoyed traveling the country and interacting with the tour groups he shuttled around. His favorite destination was Branson, Missouri but he loved to tell the story of the group he took to Oklahoma to see a working cattle ranch, driving the bus right out into the pasture and almost getting stuck just to see a longhorn steer up close.
With three boys in college, practicality took over and Mike decided that driving a bus, while enjoyable, simply wouldn't pay the bills long-term. He then took a job as principal and athletic director at A-H-S-T in Avoca, a position he held until he retired in 2004. Though his classroom education days were behind him, Mike continued to work as a starter and official for track & field, basketball, and softball events throughout Iowa, serving at over 30 Iowa State Track Meets, the Drake Relays, and numerous junior high, high school, and collegiate sporting events over the course of almost 50 years. He is a member of the Iowa Association of Track Officials Hall of Fame, the Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, and the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association Hall of Fame. He was also just the 16th recipient in 87 years of the prestigious Jack North Award in 2015 for his service to the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union.
Mike and Michaele moved to Harlan to enjoy retirement and were able to spend more time with their kids and grandkids. While he maintained a fairly gruff exterior, being a grandpa changed Mike more than anything else in his life. He took vacations with the family to places like Key West, the Pacific coast of Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and the mountains of Wyoming, where the cowboy got to ride a horse one last time with his daughter-in-law and granddaughter. If you'd have asked, he probably would have preferred to go out this way, slumped over in the saddle with his boots still on. However, Mike continued with his passion and commitment to starting track meets, and it would end up being a meet at Iowa State where life, time, and circumstance would finally catch up to him. An accidental fall onto the track from the starter's stand resulted in a spinal cord injury which put Mike in the hospital for the final two weeks of his life. Though he struggled with the injury and attempts at recovery, he had his family beside him every day for support. Family, more than anything else in his long and accomplished life, was the most important thing for Mike. He often said he was most at peace when his family was nearby and under the same roof. In fact, he spent most of the day before he died watching college basketball games with his three sons, laughing and telling jokes and wishing they would serve him a beer in his hospital room.
Mike Stanley lived his life with purpose, the way he wanted. He did what he loved, and loved what he did. He showed up when he was needed, and told you exactly what he thought, for better or worse. He leaves behind an amazing legacy, a grieving family, and a hole in the world that will never truly be filled.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the "Track Guy Foundation" https://www.trackguyfoundation.com/
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