Stanley Karl Kugler, 78, a resident of rural Ortonville in Oakland County, passed away June 2, 2023, surrounded by the family he loved. He was born in Grace Hospital, Detroit, on December 11, 1944 to Matthew and Katherine (Kuliga) Kugler and was raised in Wyandotte.

He is survived by his wife, Beverly Ann (King) Kugler and sons, David (Patty) of Metamora and Daniel (Becki) of Hope, MI and five adorable grandchildren who will miss their Dziadzu very much; Oliver, Cliffton, Claire, Abraham and Josephine Kugler. He is also survived by his sister, Sylvia (Robert) Vrsek of Wyandotte and five nieces and nephews, John (Dana) and Jerald (Rikki) Toth, Kimberly and Megan Kugler and Chelsea (Aaron) Vrsek.

Stan earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Wayne State University. On June 17, 1967, he married Beverly Ann King at St. Albertus Roman Catholic Church, Detroit. In 1969, Stan was called to serve in the United States Army. He had his basic training in Fort Knox, KY, and served for two years. He was an Engineer with General Dynamics and received a commendation from the Dept of Army as Lead Engineer for hydraulic systems on the Wolverine. He worked on and improved several military vehicles, including the Abrams tank, still in active use today.

He enjoyed archery hunting and fishing. He taught his son’s these skills early in life and he continued this tradition with his grandchildren. He relished time spent with his grandchildren and enjoyed the little pleasures the young can add to a life. He supported both of his son’s interest in horses and eventually built a small farm to keep them at home. They traveled all over attending horse shows and trail riding. He raised bees and kept a garden with his wife.

His favorite part of family Christmas gatherings was the traditional homemade mushroom soup. He was famous for handing out $100 bills to the kids if you shook his hand.

Together with Bev, they enjoyed ballroom dancing and he was excellent at leading Bev around the floor. He was an enthusiastic award-winning polka dancer. They frequently won awards for their expertise at the Michigan Senior Olympics. Later in life he and Bev began to research Bev’s connection to a Mayflower passenger. After much research he was able to prove she was a direct descendant of Mayflower passenger, George Soule. He was very proud of this accomplishment.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Patricia (Edward) Toth and brother, James (Kristen) Kugler and his in-laws Arthur and Helene (Chylinski) King.

A private gathering is planned in celebration of his life.

Arrangements entrusted to Lynch and Sons Funeral Directors Oxford, MI