Gilbert Ronald Stanford

We're here today to celebrate the life God graciously gave to Ron Stanford 84 yrs and 4 mon. ago. A life that was filled with laughter, joy and song.

When people would meet Ron and ask where he was born he used to love to tell them 'he was born in a furniture store in Huntington Park, CA' on March 10, 1940'. A genuine 'prune picker', which native Californians are called. Actually, it was a maternity hospital which became a furniture store several years later. He was christened, Gilbert Ronald Stanford in the Methodist Church of Maywood. His parents were Gilbert Austin Stanford and Ella May Stanford. Both of his parents and older sister, Marilyn Stanford Erb have preceded him to glory.

Ron grew up in Huntington Park, which was on the same street about 1-2 miles west of his future wife Susan. Ron and Sue were married May 16, 1964. (Only to Ron and her cousin, Marian, was she known as Susie) Ron and Sue had two children, Geoffrey Alan Stanford and Catherine Virginia Stanford Yassa. He had 8 grandchildren, Katie Stanford; Anthony, Joseph, Gabriel, Miranda, James, Alyssa and Sariah Yassa, whom he dearly loved and was very proud of. He also leaves, a much beloved cousin, Marian Bitzen, and her son Scott Rollins and his wife Brandy.

We don't know if Ron loved camping, but he certainly went along with all our trips because he knew how much his Susie loved it. Throughout the years they owned two trailers and one tent trailer. Their last trailer was a small 5th wheel which they could park in Cathy and Eddie's driveway when they came to visit. And the kids loved visiting' and waking them up in the mornings. Ron didn't mind camping in the trailer because it was self-contained.

Ron attended Fishburn Elem. School in Maywood; went to Carmelita Jr. High (now called Nimitz Middle School) which was just 3 blocks from where he lived & then went to Huntington Park Hi School, graduating in 1957. He finally finished his college education at USF. (University of San Francisco) with a B.S. degree in 'Information Systems.'

Upon graduating from high school he went to work for the Los Angeles Police Department garage and then joined the U.S. Air Force in 1959 and served for 4 years; 2 of which were spent at the Birkenfeld Air Station in Germany. He was honorably discharged in August 1963. He returned home in August 1963 and fell in love with his wife of 60 years, Catharine Susan Craig Stanford. Ron at this time was working for PT&T which changed it's name 3 or 4 times within the 34 years he worked for them, finally retiring from Southwest Bell/Sacramento office in 1998. Upon retirement, he worked at his granddaughter, Katie's, elementary school as a teacher's aide for the next several years.

Ron was raised in a very musical family where he learned to play the accordion and clarinet. He also loved to sing, joining his high school choir and church choirs. He also enjoyed singing duets with his sister, Marilyn, and singing with a Capitolaires group in Sacramento. Especially when they sang in the Capital Rotunda at Christmastime where the acoustics are amazing!

Ron came to know the Lord as His personal Lord & Savior in 1975 at a Basic Youth Conflicts Seminar. He had been reading the Bible for some time and God convinced him of his need for a Savior during that seminar. So when the invitation was given, he asked Jesus into heart according to Eph. 2:8-10, 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.'; and he never looked back since he knew he was sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption, according to Eph. 1:13; & 4:30.

Ron was attending Grace Bible Church in So. Gate, CA where he was asked to serve on the elder board. He served the Lord as church treasurer and then Chairman of the Board, while teaching the Jr. High class, and co-counseling the Hi School youth group.

Taking, Phil. 4:13, as a life vs. which says, 'I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me.' That vs. was repeated many times the past 3 years.

Ron was transferred to No. CA in 1990 with the phone company, where he served the Lord at Adventure Church, ministering to two autistic boys so their parents could attend a church service. One of the mother's actually came to tears seeing this retired gentleman lovingly working with her son, giving she and her husband a chance to go to church and actually concentrate on the message.

Ron and Sue returned to So. CA in 2011 to be close to family and began attending Redemption Church. He joined the Master's Mates class and ultimately became their song leader from 2019-2022. Because of his love for music the family has selected a number of his favorite hymns to be sung. (Ron's list was much longer) #520 (Redeemed) #380 (Just a Closer Walk With Thee) #493 (It Is Well) and #542 (When We All Get To Heaven) and #543 (When The Roll Is Called Up Wonder) We know that he is now singing praises to God in heaven in the Lord's choir.

The summer he moved back to So Cal, he began serving the Lord in an after school Good News Club at Maude Price Elem. School in Downey, along with his wife, their daughter Cathy and several of his older grandchildren. Jamie joined the group just before COVID.

He made many wonderful friends in Master’s Mates and especially enjoyed going out to breakfast, once a week or so, with a group of men. They even met when they could during Covid, up until he became too ill to continue. The men, for various medical reasons couldn't meet for a while, so Ron was especially glad he could make it 1 more time when they met in May of 2023. Because Sue drove him there, she gave all the men a hug, when she prepared to leave. One of the guys then asked, 'why did she only give the guys a hug but gave Ron a kiss before she left.' Art Jenkins shared that story with Sue after class one Sunday. Ron said it must have been George Fuentes or Marv Leadham that asked the question, but he couldn't remember for sure. Ron loved the fellowship with the guys and was happy when he began feeling better and was able to go to breakfast again, in the spring of '23. God is so good! His friends were so faithful to him, giving him a ride home from breakfast, calling to check up on how he was doing, letting him know they cared, visiting and bringing him treats for lunch.

Ron is lovingly remembered by his family as Husband, Dad, Grandpa & friend. He was an avid reader and loved reading everything he could concerning the Bible. When he was younger he studied Greek and Hebrew and always carried a Greek lexicon with him to church, checking up to make sure the Pastor's were right on. Ron loved to read and read thru the Bible several times. He had a large library of commentaries by J.

Vernon McGee, John MacArthur and others.

He taught his children to love the Lord and enjoyed reading different truths about the Bible as he would sit on the side of their beds reading them Bible stories (from the same book his parents had read to him, and making sure they knew the Lord.

Way back in the dark ages, he joined a pilot class which became the first Bible Study Fellowship class for men, in Buena Park. He joined a Bible Study Fellowship class in Northern California with his eldest granddaughter, Katie, and upon returning to So. Cal continued, going to a class in Cypress which he attended with his son Geoff, his son-in-law, Eddie Yassa, and two of his grandsons in 2011; serving the Lord as a group leader for 2 years until it became too difficult for him to climb the stairs for leaders meetings.

(The remnants of a motorcycle accident he suffered in 1971). His most recent favorite vs. was 1 Cor. 15:1-4 "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures."

Ron's love of reading led him to have a very extensive library on the Word of God. Eph. 3:2-5, where the apostle Paul said, "If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: :3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel."

Not only did Ron love reading, but he loved collecting stamps and coins which he had done since childhood. Because of that he had a good grasp of geography and the history of foreign countries. He also loved to read about history and politics.

Ron never missed a play, ballet performance, church performance or sports game that his children or grandchildren were in. He was always there supporting & cheering them on, until recently which broke his heart to have to miss. But he was still able to play 'Up Words', 'Uno' and 'Texas Hold 'Em' with his youngest grandchildren on Thursday afternoons, until his stroke in 2022. Before he became too ill to get out a lot he loved picking up and going to yard sales on Saturday mornings with his grandson Joey, always looking for silly treasures. (Sometimes even useful ones) Ron for some reason loved Sponge Bob and would watch cartoons with Jamie, Alyssa and Sariah when they were younger. Katie, Anthony, Joey, Miranda and Gabriel by this time were too old for Sponge Bob. He also loved being interviewed by his granddaughter, Miranda, for her Hi School project. The last events he was able to go to were the college graduations of Gabriel and Miranda last May. He was sooo proud of them.

And of course all the kids will remember Grandpa, I'm sure, for his funny jokes and stories.

Now Ron is in heaven with the Lord waiting for us, (family, friends and loved ones) to join him there; along with those who have gone before, forever praising God and our Savior Jesus Christ! 1 Thes. 4:14-18,

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

In closing the family would like you to join them in singing, 2 last songs:

"What Day That Will Be What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see

and I look upon His face, the One who saved me by

His grace, when He takes me by the hand and leads

me through the promised land.

What a day, glorious day that will be.

There will be no sorrows there, no more burdens to

bear, no more sickness and no more pain. No more

parting over there. But forever I will be with the One

who died for me. What a day, glorious day, that will be.

And #213 (Because He Lives) we'll sing all 3 verses, then finish with the chorus!

Thank you, and please join us next door, in McClintock, for a reception. For those who can't stay thank you for coming!