Conrad J. Stanley, Jr.

Conrad Joseph Stanley Jr., 91, passed away peacefully October 21, 2025, surrounded by his four children, after a brief illness. A New Jersey native and resident for most of his life, he moved from Wayne, NJ to Lansdale, PA in May, 2024.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Madeline Jeanette (Zahn) Stanley in 2011.

Born in Passaic, NJ in January, 1934, Conrad was the only child of the late Conrad Sr. and Eleanor (Zahemski) Stanley. A 1951 graduate of Clifton High School, he served for two years in the U.S. Army as a radio operator for the Signal Corps at Fort Hood, TX. He met Madeline, also a graduate of Clifton HS, while visiting the Jersey shore with friends. They were married at St. Paul Roman Catholic Church in Clifton, NJ on New Year's Day1956. The young couple lived briefly off-base in Texas, returning home to Clifton that summer after Conrad completed his military service. There they began a rich life filled with joy, shared experiences, humor, endless curiosity about the world, and most of all, a deep love and dedication to each other and their four children. Family was always the centerpiece of their lives.

Conrad and Madeline purchased their first home in the Packanack Lake section of Wayne, NJ in 1960. Nine years later, Conrad designed a new house one block away, to accommodate their growing family. They resided there for the next 25 years before moving across town to the Manitou community.

From an early age, Conrad showed a talent for art, photography, and design. He graduated from the Newark School of Fine & Industrial Art  and Pratt Institute, New York, where he studied industrial design, and Pace College, New York, where he studied marketing. From there, his creativity and strong work ethic paved the way to a 55-year career in advertising display, exhibit, and product design.

He began as a draftsman creating schematics for early televisions for Dumont. He went on to  design a wide range of manufactured goods including television and hi-fi cabinets, bathroom fixtures, housewares, tools, cosmetics packaging, advertising displays, and exhibits for national and international companies. To his delight, his work took him all over Europe. He spent many years designing sleek and innovative advertising displays for Timex, which appeared in department stores, boutiques, and pharmacies throughout the country. Many of these display units can still be found today in antique stores and markets, displaying watches or jewelry, or being bought and sold as collectibles in their own right. One of Conrad's favorite designs was a lunch box used by actor Caroll O'Connor in the role of Archie Bunker in the TV classic All in the Family.

In retirement, Conrad never stopped creating. He took up woodworking, designing and building his own furniture. He enjoyed keeping up with technology, filling his computer with collages of images assembled from his own drawings and photos along with those shared by his family. He was a proud and devoted supporter of his children and grandchildren's creative and professional endeavors, always eager for details of their latest projects and accomplishments.

Conrad was an avid reader and a keen observer of the world around him. He enjoyed traveling and visiting museums, bookstores, historic sites, and his beloved ethnic food stops in New Jersey and New York City. He relished the opportunity to sit for a long discussion about anything from modern architectural history to the best source for decent kielbasa.

No matter what the occasion, Conrad always had a good story and (mostly) good jokes to tell. His departure will leave a big gap in the hearts and lives of his family and all those who knew him. The gifts that he gave his family and all those that knew him – endless love, support, and creative inspiration – will live for generations to come.

Conrad is survived by his son, Conrad III and his wife Erin of Los Angeles, CA; daughter Laura and her husband Charles of Brooklyn, NY; son Christopher and his wife Suzanne of Lansdale, PA; daughter Jennifer and her husband Matthew of Grahamsville, NY; and grandchildren Colin, Brennan, Micaela, Evan, Ben, Sonia and Abigail. A private family memorial service will be held in the near future. Conrad's remains will be buried next to those of Madeline at Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Montclair, NJ.