Stanley Dwaine Markland

At 17, dad joined the Marine Corps and made it all the way to boot camp before they discovered that he had forged his mother’s signature to enlist and was sent back home. Not long after, at the age of 18, he joined the Navy with his dad’s blessing and authentic signature. He served as a boiler tender aboard the USS Kearsarge, a Navy air craft carrier positioned in the South Pacific at the end of the Korean War until he was honorably discharged in 1958.

Dad married mom, while on shore leave but her mother had the marriage annulled almost immediately after he left. When dad got home from the Navy, they remarried and dad adopted her two sons, Gary and Steve. In 1960, Patty was born and in 1970, he and mom adopted their fourth and last child, Rod.

When dad returned home from the Navy, he started an apprenticeship with the IBEW electrical workers union, Local 322. After moving to Utah, he transferred his ticket to Salt Lake, where he stayed as a proud member of Local 354. Dad was proud of his union membership and what it stood for. He enjoyed meeting his buddies for coffee on Tuesdays at the union hall during his retirement; telling stories that were mostly true but likely exaggerated to a greater extent each time they were told. His son Rod and daughter Pat followed in his footsteps to become electricians and proud members of Local 354.

While working out of town, dad won his first Harley in a raffle, or so the story was relayed to mom. Turns out it was a very expensive raffle ticket and there was only one ticket sold. From that first bike came a freedom and a passion that dad chased for 40 years with rides all over the country and trips to Sturgis every year until he couldn’t make the trip any more. He rode until he was 80 years old when he was hit by a careless driver and that freedom was taken away from him. Riding had become as much of his identity as anything and he talked about how much he hated giving that up until the day he died. When dad had trouble sleeping at the end, we always encouraged him to relive one of his favorite rides to relax and get him to sleep. Not sure if it helped him sleep but deciding where the ride went and where it started from always made us both smile.

After mom and Patty died, dad reluctantly moved to Henderson Nevada, near Rod and Jamie and lived on his own until he was 87. He quickly adapted to the desert lifestyle where he enjoyed watching football and baseball games with Rod and Jamie, basking in the sun all year round with Muggs and going down the hill for a cheeseburger on Friday nights.

Dad left on his final journey after a slow and painful regression resulting from Alzheimer’s and injuries resulting from falls. It was hard to watch the toughest guy we ever knew slowly lose his independence and harder for him to give it up when he had to move in with us. He scratched and clawed to hold on to it until the end but reluctantly learned in small steps to trust us with his care. Special thanks to the hospice folks that helped us through the last and toughest times but more importantly to his special daughter Jamie, who went to the ends of the earth to make sure dad had the best experience he could for the time he was with us, and extended a personalized level of care that not many are as fortunate to get.

Dad is survived by his son Rod (Jamie), granddaughter Jessica Manning (Terry), grandson Mitch Ivester (Kasey), brothers Bruce & Phil Markland, 14 great grandchildren, 1 great-great grandson and his little buddy Muggs. Dad was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Jan, two sons, Gary and Steve, his daughter Patty, grandson Nicholas (Bob) Ivester, granddaughter Ashley Markland Robinson, his brother Gene and sisters Elaine and Nadine.

Another one of dad’s favorite past times was watching and judging the Golden Gloves boxing matches with one of his his best friends Jay Fullmer and the fighting Fullmer family. To honor that legacy, in lieu of flowers, we respectfully request that donations be made in dad’s name to the Fullmer Legacy Foundation, to support the Fullmer’s community service and youth engagement in the sport he loved. To donate, please use the links below or visit the Fullmer Legacy Foundation website.

https://give.fightcause.io/fullmerlegacyboxing?ref=ab_7grgGDSTdBB7grgGDSTdBB

To Celebrate the life of Stan, please join us for a light lunch at the IBEW Local 354 meeting hall, on May 11th from 11AM to 1PM. Dad will be interred with honors, afterwards, at the Utah Veterans Cemetery & Memorial Park at Camp Williams.

Celebration of Life – 3400 W 2100 S, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119

Internment – 17111 South Camp Williams Road, Bluffdale, Utah 84065