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t is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our brother, Stan Langham. At age 82, Stan passed away on December 25, 2023 in Payson Arizona.
Stan was born on November 18, 1941 (18 days before Pearl Harbor was bombed) at Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas to Raymond G. Langham and Frances Lorrayne Miller. At this time Ray was enlisted in the U.S. Army. Later the family settled in Globe, Arizona.
At the age of 12 Stan built his own soap box race car and won the Globe, Arizona Soap Box Derby Race. He and the family were flown to Akron, Ohio, to participate in the National Soap Box Derby race. After several good runs, Stan was eliminated from the race. This experience had long lasting affects for the whole family.
During Stan's high school years, he was homecoming king, student body president and played first-chair trombone in the marching band and the orchestra earning a music scholarship to the University of Arizona. At the U of A Stan was active in the Acacia Fraternity. While finishing his degree, Stan was a police officer for the City of Tucson, AZ Police Department. He graduated from the U of A in 1967 with a BS degree in Agricultural Economics. In 2016 Stan was inducted into the Globe High School Hall of Fame acknowledging his community and leadership activities.
With Stan's adventurous nature and enthusiasm for new adventures, his many hobbies included water skiing, snow skiing, hiking, backpacking, and fly fishing. His maternal grandfather encouraged the fishing and they enjoyed many happy times together in the Arizona White Mountains. His love of music also led him to the Payson Choral Society where he enjoyed 15 wonderful years. If this wasn't enough, Stan became a Master Gardener planning landscapes and developing well-designed gardens.
Stan joined the National Park Service where he was stationed as a Ranger at Chaco Canyon Historical Site, Chaco Canyon, NM. After a year, he was sent to the Horace M. Albright Training Center at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, AZ. His next post was Glen Canyon National Recreational Park. During this time, Stan was selected to join the Park Service diving team and was sent to the Scripps School of Oceanography in La Jolla, CA. This experience was the highlight of Stan's career with the Park Service.
Another career Stan enjoyed was in the residential and commercial construction industry. He was a gifted builder and his expertise in the field allowed him to think "outside" the box! While living in Alamogordo, NM for over 12 years, along with many fixer-uppers, Stan built custom homes in the local area as well as in Ruidoso. He was always up for a challenge and his final projects were stunning! He continued his construction career in Payson, AZ where he retired.
Stan was preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Lorrayne Langham. He is survived by his wife, Jeanie, of Payson, AZ; son Christopher (Catherine) of Tucson, AZ; Grandson Emerson of Phoenix, AZ; two sisters, Sandra (Ken) Eaton , and Jan (Preston) Perry, both of Alamogordo, NM, and many other family members in Alamogordo and Wisconsin.
A funeral Mass will be held February 3, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Philip The Apostle Catholic Church, 511 S. St. Philip Street, Payson, AZ with a luncheon following in the Parish Hall.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Payson Choral Society (PCS) Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 2563, Payson, AZ 85547.
