Linda “Gayle” Maples Stanley, 67, of Titusville, FL, passed away on Easter, March 31, 2024. Gayle was the seventh of eight children born to Reverend Henry and Ethel (Smelcer) Maples on July 31, 1956, in Sevierville, TN. After managing to enjoy a few of their golden years in sunny Florida, Gayle was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ken “Doc” Stanley and treasured grand-puppy, Daphne. Additional forerunning ascents include her parents, Ethel preceding Henry; brothers, Jim, Don & Bill; and nephew, Big Joe Ellison.
She is survived by her daughter and son-in-love, Kendra & David Mottarella and grandsons, Anthony & John of Titusville, FL; sisters, Faye Gibson (Kenneth), Pat Ellison (Doyie), Annette Maples (Joe Dorang), and Betty Maples in addition to generations of cherished nieces & nephews.
It was apparent that Gayle held an inherent connection to music from the start of her time when she began playing the piano by ear as a youngster after merely listening to her sisters practicing their own lessons. She later served as the church pianist for her dad, and her first major purchase with Doc was her adored piano which afforded the two of them connection and joy throughout their years. While she couldn’t muster the delight she once found in singing after losing Doc, she always maintained her love for playing music and could be found perched in front of her ivories most any time she found herself with time to spare.
The serenity she found in music can surely be attributed to the quiet strength and determination she embodied as she traversed her life and its challenges. Recognizing that achieving their dreams required them to build a life far beyond their means, Doc and she embarked on an entrepreneurial adventure upon exchanging nuptials. In the years following, she managed to serve as the primary income source while her husband navigated chiropractic school. Despite becoming surprise parents to Kendra during this strenuous era, their hunger for achieving dreams didn’t wane. Gayle went on to manage multiple chiropractic clinics for Doc while running her own mail/ship/pack store in Jasper, Whitwell and Tracy City, TN. In 1995, they invested in a lakeside convenience store and restaurant, gratifying Doc’s love for cooking, upon their return to Sevierville, TN. While they realized owning a convenience store didn’t also allow for much room for living their dream, they remained in Sevierville until their 2015 relocation to Florida.
Her accomplishments were plentiful, but the greatest of these is assuredly the way she taught her family to love and live by her own example, continually embodying a strength of spirit despite her challenges, a gift which remains in her wake to inspire those she loved. Friends of Doc & Gayle are invited to celebrate the years we shared with them, two remarkable humans who will forever be deeply missed on Saturday, August 3, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST at The Lodge at Hidden Mountain Resort, 2020 Hickory Ridge Way, Unit 2006A in Sevierville, TN, where casual attire is encouraged.
If you are unable to attend, please know we still appreciate your love and support and trust your heart’s safekeeping of the fond memories you hold as we navigate such a difficult loss, ‘til we meet again!
The Marion Tribune – July 25, 2024