Gerald Joseph Stanley Jr., known as Joe or Joseph to his friends, beloved husband to Ciara Richards, passed away on November 21, 2025, at the age of 34. He was born on September 29, 1991, in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2011 he moved to Murfreesboro, TN where he grew into a man defined by his compassion, creativity, and deep love for the people around him. He graduated from McGavock High School with Honors and MTSU with a bachelors in English Language and Literature. Joe was published twice and continued to pursue his creative goals with passion and heart.

Joe was a writer, actor, and director whose talent shone both on the stage and on the page. A devoted cinephile, avid video game player, Gwent master, and proud cat dad. He filled his life with stories, whether creating them, performing them, or sharing them with those he loved. He was a dedicated Dungeon Master and had been working toward becoming a professional DM, bringing imagination and joy to every campaign he ran. Over the past 11 years, he became a familiar and beloved presence in the Murfreesboro community theater scene on and off stage.

He met the love of his life, Ciara, in 2007 when the two were cast together in a high school play, an early moment that grew into a lifelong partnership. The two spent the last 18 years building a life and a love together that was unbreakable. They never had human children, but they did raise five amazing cats together. Bella, Zombie, Chaos, Solas, and Rot. Joe and Ciara were rarely ever apart, a fact that the two constantly joked about but thoroughly loved.

Joe is preceded in death by his mother (Melissa) and he is survived by his wife (Ciara), his father (Gerald Sr.), his sister (Ashley), his niece (Molly), his grandparents (Howard and Donnell), and his in-laws (Janet, Charles, and Eric). He also leaves behind a close-knit circle of friends, Chase, Lukas, Evan, Dalton, Nick, Alex, Nicholas, and Kristine, who were like family to him, as well as many other friends and family.

Visitation with the Stanley family will be at Woodfin Memorial Chapel on Saturday, December 20, 2025, from 10:00 am until a Celebration of Life service honoring Joe beginning at 11:00 am.

Joe's warmth, talent, and understanding nature touched everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

An online guestbook is available for the Stanley family at www.woodfinchapel.com.