Funeral Mass for Father Francis M. Stanton, 90, who died Wednesday, Oct. 29, was celebrated Wednesday, Nov. 5 at Columbus Immaculate Conception Church. Burial was at Resurrection Cemetery, Lewis Center.
He was born in Columbus on Jan. 7, 1935 to Thomas and Loretta (Butts) Stanton.
He was a 1951 graduate of Columbus St. Charles High School and earned degrees from the former Columbus St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and Mount St. Mary’s of the West Seminary in Cincinnati. He also studied at the U.S. Naval Chaplains School in Newport, Rhode Island.
He was ordained to the priesthood on May 30, 1959 at Columbus St. Joseph Cathedral by Bishop Clarence Issenmann and, with Msgr. John Dreese, was the senior priest of the Diocese of Columbus in terms of years of service.
He was an associate pastor at Columbus St. Agatha, Dennison Immaculate Conception, New Lexington St. Rose of Lima, Columbus St. Stephen the Martyr, New Philadelphia Sacred Heart, Columbus St. Peter and Columbus Our Lady of Peace churches, administrator at Wheelersburg St. Peter in Chains Church and pastor of the Crooksville Church of the Atonement. He also was a member of the diocesan vocations committee and an emergency relief chaplain.
He was commissioned in the chaplain corps of the U.S. Navy in 1967 and served in that position for 22 years at sites around the world.
While serving at Subic Bay Naval Base in the Philippines, he ministered on 31 ships off the coast of Vietnam. His other posts included the Naval Air Station, Whiting Field, Milton, Florida; the Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; the Naval Regional Medical Center, San Diego; the Naval Regional Medical Center, Great Lakes, Illinois; the Naval Air Station, Cubi Point, the Philippines; the Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina; the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, Norfolk, Virginia; the Naval Station at Guam; the Naval Air Station, El Centro, California; and the Naval Construction Battalion Center (Seabees), Port Hueneme, California.
He retired from active duty on May 1, 1989, with the rank of commander. During his service, he received many medals from the U.S. Navy and one from the Republic of Vietnam.
He retired from active ministry on Dec. 31, 2004. He moved into the Villas at St. Therese in Columbus in 2008 and later resided at Mother Angeline McCrory Manor in Columbus.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Father Joseph Stanton and John Stanton; and a sister, Mary VonVille. Survivors include a brother, Roland; a sister, Marcella Boylan; and many nieces and nephews.