Dr. Stanley’s Obituary Dr. Stanley Ifeanyichukwu “Dr. Stan” Nnochirionye The funeral mass for Dr. Stanley Ifeanyichukwu “Dr. Stan” Nnochirionye, 70, of Ada will be held at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Friday, February 8 at 11:00 a.m. A Wake Service and Vigil will take place on Tuesday, February 5, at Criswell’s Funeral Home at 7:00 p.m. At this service those who wish to do so will be invited to tell of their memories of Dr. Stan. A public celebration of his life is being planned for Thursday, February 7 at a site to be determined. Dr. Nnochirionye was born on January 2, 1949 in Kaduna City, Kaduna, Nigeria.
He died on January 30, 2019 at his home. Dr. Nnochirionye, or, as he was known to all, Dr. Stan, came from humble beginnings and made the best of the many opportunities provided to him by God. Opportunities came to him because he was a gentleman, scholar, athlete and a friend to all who knew him.
His generosity to the many international students he recruited, mentored, advised, supported and/or helped adjust to their new surroundings made it possible for them to receive an education that will impact generations of their families now and forever. For many of the local and United States students he befriended Dr. Stan was the difference in them getting a degree or not getting a degree. After lying about his age he joined the Army at the age of 17.
He served in the Nigerian Civil War (Biafran War) and rose to the rank of Captain. After being wounded in battle he returned home and completed the required work to graduate from Holy Spirit High School. He so impressed the missionaries at the school that they helped him get an academic/athletic scholarship to study in the United States.
He immigrated to the US in 1975. Dr. Nnochirionye received a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a certificate in Radio and Television Broadcasting from the State University College of New York in Buffalo. He earned a Master of Arts degree and an Educational Specialist degree from Indiana State University.
He received his Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Oklahoma. He taught at Columbia State Community College in Tennessee and in 1992 was hired by East Central University as a speech communications professor. Due to his background and expertise in broadcasting he was soon tasked with establishing and running ECU’s Instructional Television (I-TV) program as well as continuing to be a professor of Speech Communication.
Following his retirement in 2016 he continued to teach as an adjunct professor. He was not only a scholar, but an outstanding soccer player, coach, referee and administrator. He earned a scholarship to play soccer and study at the State University College of New York in Buffalo.
He was an assistant coach of the first intercollegiate soccer team at Indiana State University and, in the fall of 1997, became the first coach of the East Central University women’s intercollegiate soccer team. He was long recognized as one of the top soccer authorities in this region and was involved in soccer all of his life. He was known as “Ada’s Mr. Soccer”.
He was one of the leaders of the effort to establish youth soccer in Ada and, later, to establish varsity soccer at Ada High School. He developed and trained many coaches, referees, game officials and league administrators. Dr. Nnochirionye was recognized as Ada’s Distinguished International Citizen of the Year in 2007 for his contributions to Ada, World Understanding and for sharing his culture with others.
He served St. Joseph’s Catholic Church as a lector, Eucharistic minister, usher and 3rd degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He was also instrumental in establishing Cub Scout Pack 316 at St. Joseph’s and served as the Chartered Organization Representative. He was a longtime member of the Board of Directors of the Ada Boys and Girls Club; an active member of the Central States Communication Association and advisor for the Sigma Tau Alpha fraternity at ECU.
He was also a volunteer for LifeShare Transplant Donor Services of Oklahoma and a member of the Ada Rotary Club. Dr. Stan loved to travel and was a music enthusiast and avid photographer. Dr. Nnochirionye is survived by son Noah Obinna Nnochirionye, step daughter Kalina Popova and special friends Silviya Popova, Carol Hayward, Tawfik and Siham Ramadan, Paul and Lisa Penwright, Houston and Betty Mount and Pat and Usha Fountain.
He is survived by a brother, Albert Nnochirionye and a sister, Veronica Nnochirionye Anyanwu both of Nigeria. He is survived by many nieces and nephews, dozens of former student workers he mentored and advised, hundreds of former players he coached and thousands of former students. Dr. Nnochirionye was preceded in death by his parents, Benjamin and Helen Nnochirionye; Brothers, Boniface Nnochirionye and Cyprain Nnochirionye as well as Sisters, Lucy Nnochirionye Nwaonu, Theresa Nnochirionye Onu and Antonia Nnochirionye Umunna.
A fund for scholarships for international students is being established in Dr. Nnochirionye’s name at the East Central University Foundation. Those who wish to contribute to the fund may contact the ECU Foundation at 580-559-5655.
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