Hayden Cole "Meatball" Stanley

Funeral services for Hayden Cole Stanley will be held at 1:00 pm, Friday, December 29, 2023, in the Chapel of McWhorter Funeral Home with Pastor Chase Pope officiating. Interment to follow at Pleasant Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Thursday, December 28, 2023, from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at McWhorter Funeral Home in Gilmer, Texas. Hayden was born on May 5, 2001, in Tyler, Texas, to Nicole and Billy Stanley and passed from this life on December 20, 2023, in Purcell, Oklahoma in a motorcycle accident, coming from a camping trip. Those left to cherish his memory are his parents, Billy and Nicole Stanley; sister, Andrea Moore (Brian); brothers, Payton Stanley and Jayson Stanley; niece, Rylee Rhodes; nephew, Ryver Moore; maternal grandmother, Carol Hill (Charles Barber); paternal grandfather, Lloyd Stanley (Esther); great-grandmother, Opal Raley; great-grandfather, Jan Thomas; uncle, Robert Shields (Krystel); cousin, Trey Shields; great-uncle, Chuck Davis (Debbie); great-uncle, Douga Davis (Debbie); and numerous aunts, uncle, cousins, and an abundance of friends. He is preceded in death by his grandfather, Robbie Hill; grandmother, Gail Stanley; great-grandfather, Charles L. Davis Sr.; great-grandmother, Jean Thomas; aunts, Katherine Davis, and Elizabeth O’Con; and uncle, Jason Hill. To know Hayden was to love him. He had a soul and smile that could light up any place he walked into. His laugh was contagious. He was a loving son, grandson, brother, uncle, and friend to many. He had a giving heart and never met a stranger. His fun-loving spirit, wit, and zest for life and God were contagious. He loved camping and fishing, especially the beauty at Caddo Lake on the bayou side. He enjoyed trot lining at Lake O’ the Pines in hopes to catch the record flathead with his dad. Anything to spend time with his family, he was all in to do. Hayden was a member of Wood County Cowboy Church and he had given his life to God at the age of 11. He spent his summers at Camp W. O. W. as a camper then later became a wrangler and staffer to fill his spirit with Jesus and help lead the younger generation to our Lord and Savior. At age 14, he decided he wanted to join Harmony Fire Department as a volunteer where he was still active. After graduating Harmony High School in 2019, he attended Kilgore College Fire Academy to be a commissioned Fire Fighter and EMT. He received his associate degree and was continuing his education to acquire his bachelor's and master's degree in business to become an industrial firefighter. Pallbearers will be Brian Moore, Payton Stanley, Nic Coleman, Dakota Vaughn, Micha Langford, Peyton Pogue, Hank Jenkins, Travis Henson, Shelby Henderson, and Chris Burris. Honorary pallbearers will be Jayson Stanley, Chuck Davis, Robert Shields, Trey Shields, Seth Parks, and Douga Davis. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Wood County Cowboy Church Youth Group, 3425 FM 2088, Quitman, TX 75783 or Camp W.O.W., 8256 Diagonal 1500 Rd., Stuart, OK 74570. Please visit Hayden’s online registration book at www.mcwhorterfh.com to leave a memory for the family.

Hayden Cole "Meatball" Stanley

May 5, 2001 - December 20, 2023