The family of Stanley Wayne Stooksbury asked his friends to remember him in a special way: “In lieu of a formal service and flowers, utilize that time and money to take a child or young adult hiking, fishing, hunting or anywhere among the beauty of the outdoors, to pay tribute to the love and spirituality that Stanley shared with nature.”
Mr. Stooksbury, of Norris, passed away in early March 2022 at age 68. He ended his career with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency as area manager at the Royal Blue Wildlife Management Area. Stanley and his management area crew were involved with the state’s elk restoration project; releasing 50 elk onto the Royal Blue WMA on December 19, 2000. He retired in May 2013, after working diligently to build the management area from the original, approximately 43,000 acres, to nearly 154,000 acres, according to his obituary.
He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Cindi Stooksbury, and sons Jason Stooksbury and Andrew Sanford. Other family members are here.
Stanley was born in Lake City, Tennessee. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology and wildlife management from Tennessee Tech in 1976 and 1977. He began his professional career with TWRA in 1978 as an assistant biologist, and later as a creel clerk on Norris Lake.
In 1987, he became manager of the Tellico Trout Hatchery where he worked until 1991 when he was promoted to the position of manager at Royal Blue.