Stannard Solon Mackey, age 96, passed away July 16, 2026, in St. Peter’s Hospital.

Born to the late Evelyn (Stannard) Mackey and Solon W. Mackey, he was the seventh generation to be born on the Stannard family homestead and had farming in his blood.

Stannard attended the one-room schoolhouse on Wright Street and graduated from Scott M. Ellis School in Greenville in 1948. He joined the army in 1949 and after discharge he returned home to run the family farm. Stannard was a dairy farmer first then switched to raising beef cows.  To supplement that, he got a job as a toll collector and retired after 20 years’ service.

Stannard was an active community member and belonged to the Masonic Lodge and was a lifetime member of the Norton Hill Wildlife Club.

He enjoyed traveling, spending time with family and close friends, riding his four-wheeler (which he did just days before passing), reading his paper, and fixing things that never stopped breaking.  He amazed family and friends with his wealth of knowledge related to farming, machinery, local history, and so much more. Dedicated to the farm and the outdoors, he truly belonged to the land. He was an avid hunter and a sharpshooter. From fixing fences and haying fields to walking the woods, he knew every inch of his land and cared for it with a lifelong passion. Many of his happiest moments were spent having a drink on the breezeway while sharing stories with friends and loved ones, with his beloved dog, Tipper, faithfully by his side.

Besides his parents, Stannard was predeceased by his wife of 68+ years, Evelyn H. Mackey; his daughter and son-in-law Eileen and Harry Ketcham; and sister Madeline Nyman.

Stannard is survived by his daughters, Rita Mackey and Cathy Mackey: his grandchildren, Harry Mack Ketcham III, Troy Ketcham (Tracy), Lindsay Castagna (Steven), and Bryton Calder; and his great-grandchildren, Carter, Paige, and Myla Castagna, and Colby and Taylor Ketcham. He will also be fondly remembered as “Uncle Stannard” to many friends who grew to be like family.

Stannard has been privately cremated.  Relatives and friends are invited to a memorial service at the A.J. Cunningham Funeral Home, 4898 Route 81, Greenville, on Saturday, August 1 at 2 p.m.  Immediately following the service, all are welcome to join his family for a celebration of his life held on the family farm.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Stannard’s memory to the Norton Hill Wildlife Club, the Oak Hill/Durham Fire Company, or the Town of Durham Ambulance.

Condolence messages may be posted at ajcunninghamfh.com.