Meet our Residents: John & Bonnie Stangl

Meet our Residents: John & Bonnie Stangl
Interview and Written by Resident Debbie Tice

Before moving to Cornwall Manor, Bonnie and John Stangl spent their entire married life together in Montgomery County, PA, not far from Pottstown, where Bonnie was born and raised. Bonnie’s grandmother lived in a log cabin in Schwenksville, which Bonnie visited weekly for years. She now lives, she says, the farthest she has ever lived from her hometown. This stability is reflected in her 35-year career in computer science with Merck, where in several ways, she was a workplace pioneer. She was part of a team which put together the first local area computer network for the company, and at a time when working from home was virtually unheard of, she was one of the first to do so.

John’s career trajectory, on the other hand, was more “colorful.” John grew up in Bethlehem, PA. Before he had even graduated from Lehigh University, he was recruited by a company where Bonnie was consulting. They met at a ski club casino night (“a big gamble”) and were married after a short engagement. During their marriage, John changed jobs eight times. His work included designing control and delivery systems, developing machine tool controls for Bridgeport Controls, high voltage transmission systems for G.E., and aircraft fuel instrumentation systems for Smith Industries. From there, John went on to what he says was his best job, at North American Draeger. He started a software qualification group responsible for certifying the software on the company’s anesthesia delivery instruments prior to FDA submission. Next, John tried something completely different at Moyer Packing, where he developed a system that created the orders and scheduling for used cooking oil pick-up and for product pricing. Finally, and ironically, John ended up as a quality manager at Merck, where Bonnie had been working for over 25 years. For a time, they even worked in the same department. About a decade ago, they both retired from Merck within two years of one another.

Retirement afforded Bonnie and John more time to pursue philanthropic and creative interests. John became involved in woodworking and photography. He also designed a computerized lighting system for their community theater. Bonnie became interested in watercolor painting. They supported their local EMS, donating, with matching funds from Merck, the first Lucas device, which does automatic chest compressions. Using their local EMS as a model, Montgomery County provided the devices for every EMS squad in the county. After moving here, they donated funds which enabled Lebanon’s First Aid and Safety Squad to purchase the Lucas device.

They also judge middle school science fairs. Their nephew was so thrilled when he won a laptop computer at an art fair that it inspired them to begin offering laptops to Montgomery County middle school science fair participants who placed Best in Show. One laptop recipient went on to win first place in the Delaware Valley science fair and then won the $10,000 innovation award at the international competition! They are investigating similar opportunities to contribute in the Lebanon County area.

John and Bonnie moved to their home in the Pines in 2022. They wanted to be closer to their daughter, who lives in Manheim. They had a few basic requirements (two-car garage, open floor plan, woodshop), but they were thrilled to discover all the additional amenities that Cornwall Manor offered. Both participate in various exercise programs, square dancing, bus trips, lectures, art, and volunteer opportunities. They have a garden plot at the farm, and John is president of the woodshop. Additionally, they support the Cornwall Fire Company. When they donated a special hydrant valve to boost uphill water pressure, the fire company was so grateful that they stopped by their house to thank them—in the fire truck! The neighbors (and the Stangls) had no idea what was happening!  John is now a community member of the fire company, trained in CPR and first aid. He does photography for them and is the company’s past secretary and current treasurer.

With their enthusiasm, creativity, intellectual curiosity, and altruistic spirit, Bonnie and John are vibrant additions to both the Cornwall Manor and local communities. To quote Bonnie, “There are so many opportunities to socialize and contribute that it’s hard to choose. I hope to continue to make more friends when taking part in these programs.