Stanley R. Mitick, Jr., 97, passed away Tuesday, December 15, 2020, at Rock River Hospice and Home in Sterling, IL.
Stanley was born November 10, 1923, in Denver, CO, to Stanley R. and Sybil A. Mitick. He was raised in Denver and graduated in 1942 from North Denver High School. During WWII, he enlisted in the Army Air Force Aviation Cadet Pilot Training Program, graduating as a Pilot and Second Lieutenant, in April 1944. He served with the 9th U. S. Air Force, 344th Bomb Group in the European Theater of Operation in WWII. After the war ended, he volunteered to spend a year participating in the Military Occupation of Germany. He was separated from active duty in 1946 and attended the University of Colorado, graduating in 1949 with a B. S. degree in Mechanical Engineering. Stanley married Ruth Ann Bealer of Morrison, IL, in Denver, on August 27, 1948. He continued active participation as a Reserve Officer of the U. S. Air Force, retiring in 1972 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Stanley was employed by the General Electric Company in Morrison, for over 43 years, in various Engineering and Engineering Management positions, retiring from full-time employment in 1993. However, he continued to work an additional 19 years for GE, doing engineering work on a part-time basis until February 2012, for a total of 62 years employment at GE in Morrison. Stanley was a member and Past Ruling Elder of First Presbyterian Church in Morrison. He was active in several civic organizations and served 21 years on the Board of Morrison Community Hospital, serving 12 years as President of the Board during the Modernization and Expansion Program of the 1970s and early 1980s. He was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Reserve Officers Association, the Military Officers Association of America, and the 9th Air Force Association.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth; sister-in-law, Ila DeLuca of Upland, CA; sister-in-law, Marianne Bealer of Chandler, AZ; nieces and nephews by marriage, Sharon (Tim) Allen of Scottsdale, AZ; Thomas (Mary) Pons of Erie, IL; Michael (Jenny) Heun of Erie; Robert Bealer of Chandler, AZ; Dorian (Donna) McClenahan of Upland.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Clayton and Ellsworth Mitick.
A graveside service will be held at the Rock Island Arsenal National Cemetery with military honors. Ken Renkes will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society.