Col. Stanley R. Pearson, U.S.A., Ret.

Col. Stanley R. Pearson, U.S.A., Ret., 89, of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania passed away on September 23, 2021 at his home.

He was born on March 30, 1932 in Grangeville, Idaho, to the late Stanley Ray and Esther Pearson. He graduated from Grangeville High School in 1950 and enlisted in the Idaho National Guard in 1951. He later graduated from the University of Idaho with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education and also received his Masters of Business Administration from Indiana University. In 1951, he was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Norma Elaine Smith, and they spent almost 62 years making memories together.

In his early military career, Colonel Pearson was commissioned as a Regular Army Second Lieutenant in the Ordnance Corps detailed to Artillery. He reported for active duty at Ft. Bliss, Texas to attend the Officer Basic Course before being assigned as a Gunnery Officer at Castle Air Force Base, California. His next assignment took him to Seattle, Washington where he served with the 20th and 28th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Missile Battalions.

He was later assigned to Redstone Arsenal, Alabama before being assigned to the Advance Weapons Support Command, Germany where he served as storage officer, sop officer and executive officer of the 583rd Ordnance Depot Co; Materiel Officer for the 82nd Ordnance Battalion; and as Operations Officer of the 529th Ordnance Depot Co. He returned to the United States after that to attend the Army Ordnance Center and School, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Later, after graduating from Indiana University, he was assigned to Headquarters, US Army Vietnam as a Maintenance Officer. After serving in Vietnam, Colonel Pearson attended the Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas and was later assigned to Office of Personnel Operations, Department of the Army in Washington D.C. where he served as the Chief of Personnel Actions Section, Ordnance Branch, Officer Personnel Directorate.

In 1972, his military service took him to Alaska. At Ft. Richardson, he served on the G-4 Staff as Chief of Plans and Operations Division until assuming Command of the Support Battalion of the 172nd Infantry Brigade. He also served as Deputy Director of Industrial operations for Ft. Richardson, Ft. Wainwright, and Ft. Greely. A few years later, he crisscrossed the United States once again to attend the US Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. Upon completion of his studies there, he became the Director of the Combat Developments Directorate at the US Army Ordnance Center and School, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. He served in that role until 1979 when he was assigned to the Logistics Evaluation Agency, New Cumberland Army Depot in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania as the Chief of the Logistic Operations and Readiness Division.

Colonel Pearson was awarded the Legion of Merit; the Bronze Star Medal; the Meritorious Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal; the Vietnam Service Medal; the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal; and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm.

In his spare time, Colonel Pearson was an active member of Christ Presbyterian Church in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania and enjoyed playing bridge and travelling the world with his wife and friends. He also exercised his creativity through music and woodworking. He thoroughly enjoyed playing the trumpet and banjo and would break out his instruments during family gatherings, and he would also tickle the ivories on the family piano with his grandchildren. If he wasn’t playing music himself, he would play one of the records from his expansive collection and dance around the living room with his wife and grandchildren. He was an especially skilled woodworker, and enjoyed creating detailed carvings of birds and wildlife.

Stan is survived by a community of much-loved family and friends. Among them are his son, Michel "Mike" Pearson; granddaughters Christina Dunmire (Mike) and Heather M. Keller (Chris); great-granddaughter Rachel Dunmire; great-great-grandson Marcus Hamor; brother Burton (Barbara); sisters-in-law Arlene (Robert) and Joyce (John); and several cherished nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Stanley Ray & Esther (Gilette) Pearson; his wife Norma Elaine (Smith) Pearson; his daughter-in-law Donna (Schaffner) Pearson; and his brothers, Robert and John Pearson.

A memorial service will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, October 16, 2021 at Christ Presbyterian Church, 421 Deerfield Rd., Camp Hill, PA 17011.

Memorial contributions are respectfully requested to the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Charitable Service Trust at www.dav.org, or to his church at 421 Deerfield Rd., Camp Hill, PA 17011.