William F. Stanley

Waltham – The Honorable William F. Stanley, former Mayor of Waltham, died on Wednesday, April 9, 2014 with family by his side in St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton. He was 76.

Mayor Stanley was born in Waltham on June 25, 1937, the oldest of two boys born to the late Harold F. and Mary M. (Swanton) Stanley, and had been a lifelong resident.

In 1975 Mayor Stanley was first elected to the Waltham City Council and ten years later became the mayor of Waltham, a position he held until his retirement in 2000. During his tenure as chief executive he revitalized downtown Waltham and also restored the Waltham Public Library. He was active in all aspects of the community and twenty-six years ago he started the Waltham Partnership for Youth. He was not alone in these endeavors, his family and especially his wife, Roberta, were always by his side. He left a lasting impact on the community and in an interview with the Waltham News Tribune in 2013 stated, "There is a satisfaction in knowing that we made the city a little better during my tenure." He was a modest mayor.

The mayor's commitment to the city was recognized by the dedication of the revitalized senior center on Main Street and a new elementary school on South Street in his honor.

Besides his beloved wife, Roberta A. (Bryson) Stanley, he leaves his children, Kathleen M. Stanley of Andover, Mary Beth Stanley, William F. Stanley, Jr., State Representative Thomas M. Stanley and his wife, Kim, and James B. Stanley all of Waltham; his grandchildren, Ryan Wm. Stanley and Parker T. Stanley; his brothers and sisters-in-law, Frederick and Joan Bryson and Mary Kay Bryson, all of Waltham and Richard and Barbara Pickette of Frederick, Maryland and many nieces and nephews.

He was also the brother of the late Robert W. Stanley.

Family and friends will honor and remember Mayor Stanley's life by gathering for calling hours in Waltham City Hall, 610 Main Street, Waltham on Sunday, April 13th from 3 to 7 p.m. and again at 9:45 a.m. on Monday morning in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham before leaving in procession to Saint Charles Borromeo Church, 51 Hall Street, Waltham where his Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in Mount Feake Cemetery, Waltham.

Memorial donations may be made to the Wm. F. Stanley Foundation, c/o Watertown Savings Bank, 6 Lexington Street, Waltham, MA 02452.

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Upon Mayor Stanley's retirement from City Hall in 2000, Jack Cox, a history teacher at Waltham High School penned the following retrospective of the late mayor's career.

Thank you to a spectacularly successful mayor
By Jack Cox

On Jan. 2, a remarkable epoch in Waltham's history comes to a close. For the first time in 14 years, William F. Stanley will no longer be mayor of Waltham.

A real life Horatio Alger story, Bill Stanley rose from humble beginnings to serve Waltham as ward councilor, councilor at large, state representative and mayor. His decision not to run for re-election was highly unusually. Think for a moment – when was the last time an elected official voluntarily stepped down at the height of his popularity?

When Bill Stanley took office in 1986, Waltham was confronted with many of the same problems faced by other old industrial cities throughout the United States. There was a perception that Waltham's best days lay in a distant and golden past; that things would never be quite as good as they once were. The Watch City seemed to have lost some of its spunk and vitality.

Much of this lack of confidence in the city's future could be traced to the decline of Moody Street. During the 1970s and 1980s, the major department stores that once lined Moody Street had left for more lucrative locations, or had gone out of business. Like so many downtowns across America, Moody Street had become one more strip of marginal businesses and empty storefronts.

To his credit, Bill Stanley recognized the importance of Moody Street to Waltham's long-term future. Moody Street was more than just a place to shop. It was the heart of Waltham, a place that shaped the city's image and created its identity. Surely if the heart were sick, how could the city itself ever be fully healthy?

Refusing to listen to the naysayers who claimed it couldn't be done, Mayor Stanley set out to revive Moody Street. New brick sidewalks were constructed, attractive light fixtures and park benches were installed, dozens of trees were planted, a riverfront park along the Charles River was completed and the Moody Street Bridge was rebuilt. Bill Stanley was downtown Waltham's biggest cheerleader, encouraging businesses and people to use their imaginations to see the tremendous potential hidden behind the boarded up buildings.

Slowly, but surely, the Mayor's vision of a vibrant downtown became a reality. Empty storefronts were placed with upscale restaurants and small shops. Cronin's Landing was completed, creating 300 luxury apartments overlooking the river and Moody Street. And, to top it all off, a brand new movie theater located in downtown Waltham, making it possible to see a movie on Moody Street for the first time in more than 25 years.

Bill Stanley's success in revitalizing Moody Street is reason enough to ensure his place in Waltham's history. However, he has accomplished a great deal more. Bill Stanley is the mayor who restored the Waltham Public Library, rescued the Robert Treat Paine Estate, made our public buildings handicap accessible, and rebuilt virtually every playground in the city, including Lowell Field and Leary Field. He enhanced public safety with the creation of two new police substations and a new 911 Emergency Center. On the environmental front, Mayor Stanley initiated the city's first successful recycling program, began the cleanup of Hardy Pond and improved the Storer Conservation land. His record on youth issues is equally impressive. Bill Stanley started the Partnership for Youth, was instrumental in beginning Youth Opposed to Using, attended more than 98 percent of all School Committee meetings, and funded a new Fine Arts center at Waltham High School. Right up to the end, Bill Stanley did his best to move Waltham forward, securing land from the Army Corps of Engineers to be used for new athletic facilities. These are just a few of the highlights of Bill Stanley's Administration. The list goes on and on.

Perhaps Mayor Stanley's biggest disappointment was when the City Council rejected his proposal to construct a senior citizen/community center at old Waltham High School. However, the mayor's courageous efforts to save this important part of Waltham's history are indicative of his strong commitment to both historic preservation and our senior citizens. The recent inclusion of old Waltham High School on a list of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Resources in the state supports Bill Stanley's position that this landmark building must be saved.

One might expect that Mayor Stanley achieved these worthy objectives by spending every last available penny. Such is not the case. Bill Stanley proved himself an effective guardian of Waltham's financial stability. In fact, for the first time since 1945, Wall Street has upgraded Waltham's bond rating from AA to AA+, thereby allowing the city to borrow money at a cheaper rate.

Any account of Bill Stanley's tenure as mayor would be incomplete without mentioning his extraordinary stamina and strong work ethic. He has been as accessible to the public as any mayor could possibly be, opening his office daily to anyone who needed to see him for "just a few minutes." And to those who never visited Bill Stanley in his office, he could always be seen around town – attending sports banquets, visiting schools, having breakfast on Moody Street, or attending Waltham High School football games… quietly sitting among the fans even when other dignitaries had taken refuge in the enclosed press box.

How will history judge William Stanley's tenure as a mayor of Waltham? Without question, he will be remembered as a spectacularly successful mayor; the mayor who breathed new life into an old city. When Bill Stanley walks out of City Hall on his last day in office, he can be confident that he has left Waltham in better shape than he found it. Bill Stanley's lasting legacy is one of renewal – he renewed our community, restored its confidence and revived its spirit. He deserves our thanks for a job well done.