William P. Bill Stanton

FEBRUARY 12, 1955 - AUGUST 1, 2011 GARNER - William P. Bill Stanton, 56, died Monday at Duke Raleigh Hospital. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, he was the son of the late William McKinnon Stanton and Katherine Mary Waldmann Stanton. He is remembered as a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and brother, by his wife, Nancy Stanton; his daughter, Laura S. Daniels, her husband Mike and their son Liam; his son, Cameron B. Stanton and his fianc Leanne; his sister Susan S. Gray and her husband Eddie; and his sister Karen S. Valentine and her husband Jay; along with many beloved nieces and nephews. A longtime resident of Garner, NC, Bill was a 1978 graduate of North CarolinaStateUniversitys forestry department. For almost 25 years, he worked as a right of way agent for CP&L, although his true passion was raising the perfect Christmas trees for North Carolina families, who would come from all across the state every holiday season. Along with his dad, Pop, he started Pop-n-Son Christmas trees in 1974, pioneering the choose and cut concept in the Piedmont. Bill raised award winning trees, including two grand champion winners, which resulted in the honor of presenting Christmas trees to the Governor of NC. During his leisure time, Bill enjoyed playing softball. He participated on softball teams representing Garner United Methodist Church and Pop-n-Son Christmas Trees. He also loved visiting the beach, where he felt closest to God. He would frequently travel to the beach, often bringing along members of his family to enjoy a day or weekend playing in the water and walking along the beach. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM Thursday at Garner United Methodist Church. Burial will follow at Montlawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 6:00 - 8:00 PM Wednesday at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, Garner. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 8300 HealthPark, Ste. 10, Raleigh, NC27615 or to GarnerUnitedMethodistChurch, 201 Methodist Drive, Garner, NC27529.