Vayden Foy Stanley MD

Vayden Foy Stanley, M.D. of San Angelo, Texas died at home on August 11, 2021 surrounded by loved ones. He battled prostate cancer with the loving care and support of his sister, Estelle Herring. Vayden died at 87 years old.

Dr. Stanley is survived by his immediate family members, daughters Amy Stanley and spouse, Michele McCall, and Kristin Stanley; devoted surrogate son, Alan Prest; beloved sister Estelle Herring and children, Elaine Stribling and spouse, Bobby, and Lawren Herring; sister Becky and Bruce Wadzeck and children, Kim Madrid and spouse, Tate Bannowsky, and Lee and Nina Wadzeck. Vayden is also survived by brother-in-law, Robert Pettit and spouse, Christen Pettit Miller; nieces, Tess Anglin, Brynn Anglin and spouse, and Elijah Bowie; nephew, Grayson Pettit; and granddaughter, Katherine McCall. He is survived by many dear friends, and of course, his beloved cat, Sugar.

Vayden was born September 3, 1933, in Gervin, Texas, to Reuben Horace Stanley and Cova Nadine McDaniel Stanley. He grew up in San Angelo. Vayden attended Central High School where he met the love of his life, Tina Lois Pettit. Vayden served stints in the Navy ROTC and Army while courting Lois. Vayden and Lois married in 1958, after Lois graduated from Baylor. Vayden graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas in Austin in 1959. He and Lois moved to Dallas where Vayden attended the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. He graduated from medical school in 1963 and did his internship at Bexar County Hospital District in San Antonio. Vayden completed a three-year residency in anesthesiology at Parkland Memorial Hospital in 1968.

Dr. Stanley served as Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at UT Southwestern Medical School from 1968 to 1973. He provided medical services to Native Americans in the Dallas area in the newly established (1971) Urban Inter-Tribal Center of Texas Clinic. His patients held a Pow Wow in his honor before he moved home to San Angelo in 1973 to practice anesthesiology.

Dr. Stanley was board certified in Anesthesiology by the American Board of Anesthesiology in 1969. In 1997 he achieved board certification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine by the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He passed the hospice and palliative medicine board again in 2005. Dr. Stanley achieved an Anesthesia subspecialty certification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine in 2010. These certifications reflect his lifelong commitment to learning and providing excellent care to his patients. Vayden retired from his Senior Medical Director position with Kindred Hospice in June 2018. He’d practiced medicine for 55 years.

Vayden and Lois raised two daughters, Amy Stanley and Kristin Stanley. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a large gathering of family and friends in 2008. Vayden lost his wife and sweetheart when Lois died in October 2018 from Alzheimer’s Disease.

Dr. Stanley received numerous awards for his impact on the San Angelo community; Junior League Volunteer Achievement Award (1990), Service Recognition and Achievement Award from Texas Department of MHMR and Commendation for Public Service from ASU/SAISD/city of San Angelo/Tom Green County (1991), The Jefferson Award (1992) and Daughters of the American Revolution Excellence in Community Service Award (1995). He served on the Board of Trustees for the Concho Valley Center for MHMR services from 1977-1991, as President of the Board from 1982-1985 and as representative to Texas Association of Community MHMR’s from 1985-1991. Dr. Stanley served on the Ethics Committee at Shannon Medical Center and the San Angelo State Supported Living Center in Carlsbad. San Angelo Faith Leaders gave Vayden an “Unsung Hero” Award for service to the community in 2012. In 2014 the Texas-New Mexico Hospice Organization recognized Dr. Stanley with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his hospice contributions.

Over his medical career Dr. Stanley cared for the wide range of humanity, premature babies in need of ventilation, hospital surgical patients needing anesthesia and terminally ill patients via several local hospices. His medical practice encompassed patients struggling with an AIDS diagnosis, frequently shunned by others early in that epidemic. Dr. Stanley served people fighting opioid addiction through San Angelo’s Methadone Clinic. His care and expertise helped those struggling with chronic pain at Shannon Medical Center’s Pain Clinic. He was a pioneer in the hospice movement in Texas and San Angelo.

A voracious learner, Dr. Stanley believed medicine involved the mind, heart, good listening skills and occasionally a “tincture of time.” He helped further the practice of medicine via research and publishing articles in the fields of anesthesia, pain management and end-of-life care.

Dr. Stanley served numerous leadership roles with the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the Southern Society of Anesthesiologists and the Texas Medical Association. The Texas Society recognized Vayden with their Distinguished Service award in 1995.

Kindred Hospice recognized Dr. Stanley for providing care for more than 5,000 hospice patients in his 20 years of medical directorship in 2018. Dr. Stanley said “Medicine in general is a spiritual adventure, and certainly Hospice is part of that, and has given me insight that I would not have otherwise had.” Through his training of countless hospice nurses, Dr. Stanley elevated the daily care received by those facing life-limiting illness.

A longtime member of First Christian Church, Vayden served the church in a myriad of ways, from elder to deacon, to Sunday school teacher, to choir member. He deeply valued the church community that provided many lifelong friendships.

With his strong commitment to the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Vayden served on the Board of Trustees of Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University from 1997 to 2009. The Board recognized his contributions via proclamation and election as an Honorary Trustee in April 2009.

Dr. Stanley was an avid astronomer, beekeeper, scuba diver, sailor, and supporter of the arts. He achieved a scuba certification, which enabled him to handle sea life, “Touch the Sea.” He loved his time sailing on the water and diving below. Vayden said his life carried a river theme, born on the Pecos with its Red Permian clay, raised on the Concho with its caliche banks and later raised his family next to the Concho River. Vayden, Lois, family and friends spent many hours enjoying Spring Creek, a Concho River tributary in Sherwood. Fittingly, his favorite hymn was “Shall We Gather at the River.”

The family would like to thank Kindred Hospice and his nurse Judith for their care for Dr. Stanley, who viewed his case as a final teaching and learning opportunity.

A celebration of Dr. Stanley’s life will be held at First Christian Church in San Angelo at a future date due to COVID-19. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in his memory to: Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University, First Christian Church, the University of Texas McDonald Observatory, Critter Shack Rescue, or to the charity of your choice. Family and friends may sign an online guestbook at www.johnsons-funeralhome.com