Stanley Kent Crum , 72, a retired Physics teacher, died peacefully at his country home at 5:32 a.m., Wednesday, June 28, 2023. He had been battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Born in Huntington, Indiana, on June 25, 1951, he was a son of the late Charles and Kathryn (Kaufman) Crum. Growing up in Jefferson Twp., Whitley County, he completed Jefferson Center Elementary School and graduated from Columbia City Joint High School in 1969. Continuing his education at Ball State University, he earned a bachelor's degree. Later he earned a Master of Education at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne.

On May 18, 1974, he married Shelley Lynne Taylor. They made their first home in Muncie, where Stanley taught electronics at Indiana Vocational Technical College. He became the Department Head for Trade and Technology. In 1984, he began teaching Physics at Homestead High School until retiring in 2006.

For the past forty years, he had lived on the family farm that he had purchased, farming approximately 80 acres. In addition to growing crops, he maintained cattle for many years. When not teaching or tending his farm, he enjoyed woodworking, carving, or carpentry. When the grandchildren came along, they became his joy and focus.

He liked to bicycle and aspired to do the coast-to-coast ride. He helped champion the local push to prevent wind farms. Recognized for his teaching career, he won the Lilly Teachers Dream grant and traveled to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories of Canada, to observe the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights).

Stanley was a member of the Holy Scripture Lutheran Church, the Indiana Retired Teachers Association, and the American Association of Physics Teachers.

He is survived by his loving wife, Shelley; son, Joel D. (Susan) Crum of Aurora, CO; daughter, Hannah J. (Joseph) Pearson of Falmouth, KY; grandchildren, Charles, Abraham, & Samuel Pearson and Alice & Dean Crum; and a brother, Harold Stuart Crum of Roanoke.

Additionally, he was preceded in death by a sister-in-law, Kathleen Crum.

The funeral service is 2 p.m. Monday at the Holy Scripture Church, 8811 Kinnerk Road, Fort Wayne. Burial is at the Union Lutheran Cemetery in Roanoke. Visitation is from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home and one hour before the service on Monday.

Memorials in Stanley's honor are to the Holy Scripture Lutheran Church or ALS Association Indiana Chapter (ALSindiana.org).