Gerald Maurice Stancil, a retired chemist, teacher and motivational speaker, died of cancer May 28 at Seasons Hospice at Northwest Hospital. The Windsor Hills resident was 74.
Born in Baltimore and raised on East Chase Street, he was the son of Oscar Stancil, a masonry worker and handyman who was pastor of Mount Carmel Baptist Church, and Blanche Cornick Stancil, a homemaker.
He was a 1959 graduate of Dunbar High School, where he was a member of the honor society. He earned a bachelor's degree from what is now Morgan State University.
"He was always a deep thinker," said his nephew, Charles Stith, a Pikesville resident. "He was a studious person. He liked playing chess and maybe pinochle with good players. He followed yoga, different types of music, and studied world philosophy."
In 1976, he earned a doctorate in physical chemistry from the Johns Hopkins University. He wrote his dissertation on nitric oxide.
Dr. Stancil was active in the Reserve Officers Training Corps and became an Army chemist at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Dr. Stancil became a DuPont chemist and worked at its Gibbstown, N.J., plant. He later was a senior chemist at Sun Oil in Marcus Hook, Pa., and at the Celanese Corp. in Summit, N.J. He worked in propylene.
"He was ambitious, courageous and scholarly," said his sister, the Rev. Shirley Carrington of Pikesville. "He read constantly and kept up with the classics and scientific journals."
From 1986 to 2001, he taught physics and other subjects in the gifted-and-talented program at Orange High School in Orange, N.J.
"He believed that anything was possible if you put your mind to it," his nephew said. "That philosophy propelled his life. He felt he could overcome anything."
He also taught at Union College in Cranford, N.J., as an adjunct professor of chemistry.
A motivational speaker, he founded a business, Dynamic Achievements, based in East Orange, N.J. He was an Essex County, N.J., resident for nearly 25 years.
"His speaking was loud and positive," his nephew said. "His message was: 'Always do the right thing.' Over the years, he helped many people overcome adversity. He deeply believed that education was the key for solving so many of our problems. He himself never needed an overseer. He was always a doer."
Dr. Stancil was a member of the Rosicrucian Order for more than 30 years and attended its functions.
Dr. Stancil returned to Baltimore in 2000 and lived on Duvall Avenue in Windsor Hills. He became a caregiver for an elderly aunt, Mildred Gittings. He also maintained a water garden and koi pond. He continued to play chess and pinochle with friends. He also wrote about science.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Joseph H. Brown Jr. Funeral Home, 2140 N. Fulton Ave.
In addition to his sister and nephew, Dr. Stancil is survived by another sister, the Rev. Geraldine S. James of Baltimore; and nieces and nephews. His marriage to Della Milling ended in divorce. He is also survived by a stepson, Tony Bruce, and two stepdaughters, Cheryl Bruce and Angela Milling.