The family of C. Stanley Maughlin is saddened to announce the passing of their beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, and Great-Grandfather after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Stan was born in Alva, Oklahoma in 1933 and lived in Dighton and Alamota, Kansas as a child and young man. His father, Kenneth Maxwell Maughlin, was a furniture dealer, undertaker, and farmer. His mother, Wilma Marie Hutcheson, kept a lively house of three children. Stan had an older sister, Marthabel Elaine ‘Marty’ Seaman and younger brother, Richard Kenneth Maughlin, who both preceded Stan in death.
Stan received his Education Degrees from Sterling College (where he also starred in several collegiate sports), Kansas State College and Ball State University, and he held teaching certificates for Kansas, Kentucky and Virginia for secondary and middle school.
In 1957, Stan became a Lay Missionary of the World Division, General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church. He served for 20 years in the Belgian Congo (which became the Republic of Zaire) in Central Africa. In Zaire, he was a teacher, a builder, and a school principal. He was co-founder of IDIAS, a technical high school. He supervised the construction of residences, schools, dormitories, churches, clinics, and installed and maintained water and electrical systems for 32 village stations. Stan served for 10 years on the executive committees of the Annual Conferences in Zaire. After returning to America, Stan served one year in the National Headquarters of the Board of Global Ministries in New York City as Missionary-in-Residence, and then was Missionary-Interpreter-in-Residence, serving the seven states of the South Central Jurisdiction doing mission interpretation and promotion for two years.
Stan married Patricia Joanne (Dutro) from Eaton, Indiana in 1960 in Nyadiri, Rhodesia, having evacuated to Nyadiri two weeks prior to their wedding due to civil unrest. This didn’t stop their wedding and they served together in Zaire for more than 20 years. Stan and Joanne had four children: Alan Maughlin (Monica Gonzales), Carla Maughlin, Curtis Maughlin (Glenn Heueser) and Loren Maughlin, and their home was often full of their eight grandchildren: Yasmine (Mark Elliott), Mateo, Samantha, Maria, Cassidy, Dylan, Addison and Nathan; and two great granddaughters: Charlie Rose and Lilah Gray Elliott.
After his service in Africa, Stan continued his teaching in colleges and high schools across the country, including Kansas and Kentucky, before settling in Falls Church in 1996. In Northern Virginia Stan capped his work career by lending his talents to many non-profit organizations, most often focusing on homeless needs and shelters.
Stan and Joanne were long-time members of Dulin United Methodist Church, where Joanne became an Ordained Deacon. They later joined Charles Wesley and Christ Crossman United Methodist Churches.
Stan amazed all those fortunate enough to interact with him, whether it was running the family farm as a young man or obtaining his private pilot’s license; speaking Otetela, French, and Swahili; travelling in Western Europe and Central Africa; or volunteering as a fireman for 3 years in Kentucky; and he was awarded the ‘Alumni Citation’ for meritorious service in Zaire by his Alma Mater, Sterling College.
Stan was a friend to many and it was often said, “he never met a stranger.” He loved to invite people home to enjoy a great meal at his Falls Church home for 30 plus years with his beloved wife of 60 years, Joanne.
Stan, known as “Uwandji Lukamba”, will be deeply missed by his family and those he befriended. He is now in heaven, surely joking with the angels.
