Rebecca Stanley

Mrs. Rebecca D. Stanley, 85, of Abilene, Texas, passed away peacefully from this world, surrounded by her loving family, on Monday, April 24, 2023.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, April 27th, 2023, from 6pm to 8pm, at The Hamil Family Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 28th, 2023, at 10am at Zion Lutheran Church, 2801 Antilley Rd., in Abilene. Her service will be officiated by Pastor Clyde Kieschnick. Burial will follow at Elmwood Memorial Park in The Garden of The Ten Commandments. Services are under the direction of The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road.

Rebecca was born in San Antonio to Socorro and Santos Jimenez on June 7, 1937. She graduated in 1955 from Sidney Lanier High School and was a National Honor Society scholar. She began her civil service career in 1958 at Lackland Air Force Base where she met her future husband, James A. Stanley, Sr., who she later married on February 24, 1961 in Seguin, Texas.

Rebecca enjoyed her life as an Air Force wife, which took the couple from San Antonio to Colorado, where they began their family. They were blessed with two children, Jerri and James Jr., who they raised in the Grand Junction, Colorado area on a 10-acre farm. The family enjoyed camping, fishing, and spending time outdoors.

Later, Rebecca's career as a civil servant would bring the family back to Texas, where they would eventually settle in Abilene. She was widowed in 1980 and continued her career, until her retirement in 2005 after 47 years of service to the Social Security Administration. With her knowledge, expertise, and bilingual abilities, Rebecca helped countless families secure their Social Security and Medicare benefits.

Rebecca loved giving back and volunteering her time and abilities. She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church for over 40 years, and served in the Altar Guild, the bell choir, social ministry, and as a vacation bible school volunteer. With her bilingual ability, she volunteered at Bonham Elementary School, helping children learn English.

Her personal life was all about her family. She loved spending time with her children, her grandchildren, and her great grandchildren, who all lovingly referred to her as "Grams". Grams loved travelling on vacations and adventures, playing the piano, the violin, and the harpsichord, finding treasures at flea markets or antique shops, walking on the beach, and documenting all of those times with pictures and videos. Rebecca also enjoyed studying the history of castles, royal families, the English Renaissance era, solving puzzles, going to movies with family, and playing computer games with her daughter.

Rebecca was preceded in death by her husband, James A. Stanley, Sr., her parents, Socorro and Santos Jimenez, one sister, and two brothers.

Rebecca is survived by her daughter, Jerri Gazaille and her husband Art, her son James A. Stanley, Jr. and his wife Jennifer, grandchildren, Jillian Rudder and her husband Mike, Nichole Hoover and her husband Dee, Jason Gazaille, Trey Fowler, Elizabeth Stanley, Devin Lee, and 7 great-grandchildren, Aislinn, Colton, Baron, Brock, Griffin, Kipptyn, and Jettson, nieces, Maria Sanchez, and Jeanette Vauclin, and many more family and friends whom she loved.

Pallbearers will be James A. Stanley, Jr., Art Gazaille, Jason Gazaille, Mike Rudder, Dee Hoover, and Colton Rudder. Honorary pallbearers (great grandsons) will be Griffin Gazaille, Kipptyn Gazaille, Jettson Gazaille, Baron Hoover, and Brock Hoover.

Memorials may be given to Zion Lutheran Church.

The family of Rebecca wishes to extend our sincere thanks to the ER and ICU staff at Hendrick Medical Center.