Theodora “Teddy” Stang (née Meier) passed away on Saturday, July 13, 2024, age 85, at Cove’s Edge in Damariscotta, where she had been living for many years. She passed away the day after the one-year anniversary of her daughter Susan’s death.
Teddy was born on Jan. 30, 1938 in Manhattan New York Hospital, to Melissa Meier (née Chamberlain) and Theodore Meier. She was predeceased by her parents; by her husband of 60 years, Paul Stang; and by her daughter, Susan Stang.
She is survived by sister, Patricia “Heather” Meier; and sister-in-law, Mimi Landerway (née Stang). She is also survived by six of her children: Melissa Stang, Richard Stang and wife, Daneen Getrich Stang, Heather Rooney and husband, Peter Rooney, Christopher Stang, Charles Stang, and Nicholas Stang and husband, Michael Moss; and by nine grandchildren: Michael and Will Lange, Troy, Trevor, and Kate Stang, Lauren and Peter Rooney, and Vivian and Saskia Stang.
Teddy grew up in Cliffside Park, N.J., along the Palisades on the west side of the Hudson River. On a clear day, you could see the Manhattan skyline from her family’s front yard. Teddy and her younger sister, Heather, spent their childhood exploring the shores of the river with their best friend Chet, their Irish setter Cherry, and their numerous Scotties who loved to hunt river rats along the shoreline. Teddy loved to regale her children with stories of her fierce and feisty little hunters.
Teddy had a deep and abiding love for animals, which she passed on to her children. Her family always had lots of pets: dogs, cats, rabbits, a guinea pig, and eventually a horse and a pony, Galway Bay and Little Bit. “Temporary” pets that were seasonally released included box turtles, frogs, and salamanders (she had a “no snake” rule). She likely inherited her love of animals from her namesake and father, Theodore “Teddy Sr.” Meier, who filled their house with a variety of creatures, including a pet duck that took baths with them, and was dressed up and pushed around in a baby carriage. Teddy Sr. also gave Teddy’s family its first dog, a collie named Penny. He offered more pets, including a baby goat and lamb, but they were politely refused.
Teddy was an avid reader, and passed her love of books to all her children. There were always twice-weekly trips to the library, and Teddy loved to give books for birthdays and Christmas. Teachers commented that the Stang children arrived at school already reading at a level well ahead of our grade. Beatrix Potter’s “Peter Rabbit” series, A.A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh,” the “Frog and Toad” series, and “The Orphalines” were among the Stang children’s staples and frequently gifted to grandchildren and other households.
Teddy loved to play tennis and played in a league with women much younger than she. She was an absolutely killer ping pong player, and remained undefeated among her children, with the exception of her son, Charlie.
Besides raising seven children of her own, she was also a foster mother for over 30 newborn infants who were to be put up for adoption through Lutheran Social Services. Those infants typically lived with the family for three or four months, sometimes longer. They were beloved members of the family, and the experience of fostering them deeply influenced Teddy and the whole family.
Paul and Teddy’s first and second homes were in Basking Ridge, N.J. Their second home was across acres and acres of thick woods, through which ran Harrison Brook. This is where the Stang children’s experience most closely resembled Teddy’s childhood explorations of the Hudson River. They moved to Minnesota in 1970, where their three youngest children were born, and where Paul and Teddy would stay until retiring in 1999. In retirement, they moved between Cape Cod, where the family had vacationed for many years, and the Hudson Valley, where Paul was born and raised. Their last home was in Pawling, N.Y., where they became members of Christ Church on Quaker Hill. Paul was buried in the Quaker Hill Cemetery in 2017, as Teddy will be.
Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, 612 Main St., Damariscotta, ME 04543. Condolences, and messages for her family, may be expressed by visiting stronghancock.com.
