5:13 p.m., Oct. 10, 2008----T. Harrison "Harry" Stanton, 91, of Jackson, Mich., died Sunday, October 5, at Allegiance Hospice Home of Jackson.

THIS STORY

E-mail

Print

Twitter

Mr. Stanton was born in Philadelphia, and his family moved to Wilmington, Del., where he was raised. He graduated from Wilmington High School and then the University of Delaware in 1939, where he majored in English and sociology. He then attended Harvard Law School, where his studies were interrupted by World War II.

He served in the U.S. Army and spent a tour of duty in the Pacific Theatre, where he worked as a clerk for a special cartography division that prepared aerial maps for the invasion of Japan. After V-J Day, he was part of the Army of Occupation.

Upon returning from his war service, Mr. Stanton used financial assistance from the G.I. Bill to finish Harvard Law School, graduating as a member of the class of 1944/47.

While at Harvard he met his wife of over 60 years, Barbara Gene (Rosenburg) Stanton. He moved to Jackson, and the two were married in 1948. Mr. Stanton joined the law firm of Rosenburg & Painter, headed by his father-in-law, J. Adrian Rosenburg. In 1992, at the age of 75, he first retired from the firm, which then was Stanton, Bullen, Nelson, Moilanen & Klaasen. He continued a close relationship with his former partners and continued to practice law until his final retirement in 2007 at the age of 90.

Mr. Stanton was a respected member of several local nonprofit and corporate boards, including that of the Ella Sharp Museum and its travel committee. He was a member of the Jackson County, Mich., and American Bar Associations, a dedicated member of the American Civil Liberties Union and a supporter of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

His interests included theatre and cinema, classical and all kinds of ethnic music, and ballroom, folk, and especially square dancing. He and his wife were members of several Jackson area ballroom and square dancing clubs. He spent many weekends camping and canoeing in northern Michigan with family and friends. From childhood on he was an avid reader.

According to family members, his gentle and cheerful nature, kindness and thoughtfulness of others and ready wit endeared him to all who knew him. He loved telling stories and jokes, entertaining, amusing and delighting friends and associates

Mr. Stanton is survived by his wife, Barbara, four children and five grandchildren. The children and grandchildren include: Wendy (Stanton) Westwood and Jefferson Westwood, of Fredonia, N.Y., and their children, Adrienne Westwood, and her husband, Seth Easter, and Phoebe Westwood, all of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Thomas Stanton and his wife, Carol Skillings, of Lansing, Mich.; Charles Stanton of Wyoming, Mich.; and William Dean Stanton and wife, Teresa (Miller) Stanton, and their children, Jordon Allister, Graha, and Melissa Stanton, all of Palo Alto, Calif. Mr. Stanton's brother, George Stutman and his wife, Hazel Stutman, reside in Newark, Del.

A celebration of his life will be held at 3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 8, at Jackson Symphony Orchestra Hall, 215 West Michigan Ave, Jackson, Mich. A reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Ella Sharp Museum, Jackson Symphony Orchestra or Jackson District Library.