Stan Begley was born on April 14th, 1945, in Toronto, Ontario to parents Florence and Stan Begley Sr. They moved to Prince George and lived on a native reserve until their veteran housing unit on Elm Street was completed. He attended Sacred Heart Elementary with his sister, Maureen, while his father operated a small fleet of trucks.
At the age of 12, Stan moved to Toronto and was eventually enrolled in Neil McNeil High School where he was on the Student Council, played football and excelled in mathematics. His best friends from high school were Nelson Bath and Tom Young.
He created some great memories with his stepbrother, Chuck, while they worked their way across Canada to Vancouver and went backpacking through Europe.
Many of their nights were spent going to dances. It was at a dance that he would meet the love of his life and wife, Cathy (nee Curran). The two of them drove to Vancouver from Toronto in 1970 and Stan landed a job at Columbia Dodge in New Westminster where he met his good friend, Ron Hart.
Stan and Cathy Begley were married at St. Francis De Sales Parish in 1972. They lived in an apartment close to what became Metrotown before purchasing their first house in North Delta for $21,000. In 1974, the two of them moved to 83A where Caroline and Christopher, their first two children, would soon join them. It was a close neighbourhood of young families that had block parties and their own baseball team, the 83A Muscle.
Stan took night courses at SFU with a focus on math before being hired by Grant Brothers Sales in 1980. Along with the birth of Matthew, the youngest, that year also brought a new career for the father of three as a Manufacturer’s Representative in the automotive aftermarket.
Even after the family moved to Doncaster Crescent in 1988, he remained good friends with old neighbours Bob Henderson and Steve Cant. His work, as Regional Manager, afforded him the ability to see much of beautiful British Columbia and made for some great road trips, listening to the Golden Oldies he loved so much.
Stan knew how to make a dollar out of fifty cents and was rarely without a coupon; however, he was far from cheap. He was among the first to adopt the Sony Camcorder in the mid 80s. After that, he video-taped everything.
Camping in State Parks south of the border was always a favorite vacation destination. He'd tow the tent trailer to Birch Bay for Victoria Day and Labour Day with the Harts and to Lake Chelan in the summer.
Classic cars were a hobby of his and with the knowledge he gained throughout his career, he could tell you the year, make and model just by looking at the car's taillight configuration. His award winning '38 Chrysler Royal was in two weddings and a movie. He also owned a '55 Chevy, a '64 Ford Fairlane and a '66 Dodge Dart. His favorite games were Chess, Cribbage, Kings Cribbage and Stratego. Stan liked Golfing, Sudoku Puzzles and hanging out in pool halls as a youth. He also enjoyed going to the movies and attending his kids' sporting events, rarely missing a game.
For many years he helped his boys deliver newspapers for two hours a day, starting as early as 3:50am. Before going to bed, he would often watch an episode of Seinfeld. Star Trek and CSI were also among his favorite programs.
He wanted to see the world, and he did. Cathy and Stan loved going on vacations together. Cruises and bus tours of the Caribbean, the Holy Land, Italy and Greece, Europe, China, India, Australia, New Zealand and more occupied many of their golden years.
After a courageous battle with cancer, under the care of Surrey Memorial Hospital and Langley Memorial Hospital, Stan passed away on September 3, 2024.
Stan was a devout Catholic and a 3rd degree lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus.
He is survived by his loving children, Caroline, Chris (Megan), and Matthew (Leah), along with his grandchildren Brandon, Jamie, Jordan and Isla and his sister Maureen, his nieces Rhonda (David and children Jessica, Patrick and Jason), Fiona and Jacqui, and nephew Mark (Anne).
In his final years, he really enjoyed sitting outside and watching the birds, next to the garden and a freshly filled bird feeder. He didn't want anyone saddened by his passing, Stan wanted a Celebration of Life and for people to remember the good times we had with him.
Evening prayers will be held September 18 at 6:00 pm, and Funeral Mass will be held September 19 at 11:00 am, both at Precious Blood Parish, 17475 59 Ave, Surrey. Donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society . Funeral Arrangements by Kearney’s Cloverdale.