Lawrence Stanfel

Lawrence (Larry) Raymond Stanfel, 87, passed away peacefully in his home on Saturday, May 26, 2018, surrounded by his family.   Larry was born on Nov. 24, 1930 to Frank and Mary (Cebuhar) Stanfel, the fourth of five children. He grew up on East 13th Street and was proud of his Croatian heritage and humble roots on — in his words, the best side of town (the East Side). In his youthful years Larry fondly recalled playing ball in Union Park, socializing with friends at the drugstore & selling magazines in the downtown area.   Larry married the love of his life, Santina (Pascuzzi) Stanfel, on June 9, 1956. Together they had four children: Suzanne (Mark), Sally (Jeff), Carolyn (Manouchehr), and Michael (Blythe). Larry and Santina raised their family on Clearview Circle (Urbandale), in a faith filled home with family & friends, Scrabble and card games, Polka/Italian music, and Sunday dinners.   Larry’s life was marked by his Catholic faith in God, deep love and loyalty to family, dedication to hard work and service to country, and joy of friendships and sports. He enlisted in the Marine Corps and served for two years. He followed in his father’s footsteps by launching his career at the Des Moines Register in 1948 and retired from Gilcrest Jewett in 1995. He was a devout member of St. Pius parish for 53 years, where he was a member of the Holy Name Society. In 2009 he joined St. Francis of Assisi parish in West Des Moines. Larry was also associated with the VFW in Urbandale.  He was an avid Notre Dame, Iowa State, and Dowling sports fan, and fostered the next generation of athletes as a coach for the Greater Des Moines Catholic Football League.     He was lovingly known by his 11 grandchildren and two great grandchildren as “Pa,” and to his four children as their hard-working, good-humored, and honorable father. Larry was very welcoming & enjoyed conversation, socializing & swinging to the beat of the music.   He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren: Andrea, Ashley (Andrew, children Olivia and Madeline), Austin, Alex, Angela, Matthew, Shereen, Shayla, Joshua, Jonathan, and Gianna. He is also survived by his sister Mary Kay (Jim) Allen of Shawnee, Kan. He is preceded in death by his parents Frank and Mary Stanfel, brother Frank Stanfel, sisters Catherine Stanfel and Margaret Anne Wright.   The family will receive friends and loved ones on Thursday May 31, 2018 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in West Des Moines. A Rosary will commence at 6:30 p.m. A mass of Christian burial will take place at 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 1 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in West Des Moines, followed by a burial at Glendale cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Iowa PKU Foundation or Dowling Catholic High School.   And as the ending words of his favorite prayer states: “May his last words be: Jesus, Mary and Joseph.”