Stanley "Stan" Chester Kanavage

Stanley (Stan) Chester Kanavage died on January 17, 2023 after a lengthy illness.  He was born March 5, 1954 in Baxley, GA to Dr. Chester Benjamin and Helen White Kanavage.   Stan graduated from Appling County High School in 1972 with academic and athletic honors.  He attended the University of Georgia and played as a linebacker for Georgia’s football team.

After completing college in 1982, he married Miss Anne Tuten from his hometown of Baxley.   Soon after the couple moved to Athens, GA, where Stan and Anne have lived for the past 35 years and raised their family. Stan was an entrepreneur, which included a residential building contractor, the administrator of Highland Hills Retirement Village, AllSports Training, and the founder of EvoShield, a sports protection company.

Stan was a two-time North American Left Handed Amateur Golf Champion (‘88 and ’89), an avid car enthusiast, he played Charlie Blue Eyes in The Longest Yard (#40) , and a coach for his sons’ sports teams.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his and Anne’s two beautiful twins, a son, Benjamin Kane, and daughter, Allison Lee, who passed soon after birth.  Stan is survived by his wife Anne, his two sons, Christopher Kane Kanavage (Marcie) with their daughter, Kennedy, and twin sons, Remy and Beckett; and Benjamin Grant Kanavage. He is also survived by his two siblings: Van Kanavage (Emily) with their daughter Grace; and Kimberlee Kanavage King (David) with Kim’s daughter, Kaylee Sullivan, who is engaged to Sam Martin. 

Stan had a willingness and desire to help others in any way he could. His greatest joy in life was making others happy, which gave him a twinkle in his eye that we all loved.  Later in life, if Stan wasn’t on the golf course with his sons you could find him at his farm in Bethlehem, GA – enjoying nature, laughing with family during cookouts and enjoying a little “diesel therapy” on his tractor.  He will be missed by many and never forgotten.

The family will host a Memorial Service for Stan at Lord & Stephens Funeral Home West Chapel, Watkinsville, GA on Saturday, January 28th at 1:00pm. Visitation will start 11:30am. Directly after the Memorial Service, the family would like family and friends to join them at the Oconee Presbyterian Church pavilion for a cookout.  Monday, January 30th a graveside service will be held for Stan in the White Family Cemetery, Baxley, GA at 1:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Oconee Presbyterian Church, 2601 Hog Mountain RD, Watkinsville, GA 30677  or the American Heart Association, 10 Glenlake Parkway NE #400, Atlanta, GA 30328.

Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, Watkinsville, and Swain Funeral Home, Baxley, are in charge of arrangements.

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