Stanley Patmor abt 1936 - Feb 13, 2023 Stanley A Patmor, 86, longtime Valley resident, pub owner, restauranteur, croquet afficionado and good friend, passed away February 13, 2023. Stan spent most of his childhood in Phoenix, where his father was an executive with Safeway. Stan graduated from high school in Portland, Oregon, where his father had been transferred. Stan then enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where his considerable intellectual gifts saw him placed in an intelligence unit that often manned a ship in the South Pacific intercepting electronic communications from America’s adversaries during the dark days of the Cold War. Stan served with honor, enjoyed his work and left the service with an honorable discharge. Upon his discharge from the Navy, Stan returned to live in Phoenix. He worked for Jim Wheat Landscape and Nursery where he developed a lifelong love of plants and landscape design. During this time coffee houses and folk singing were becoming popular, and one of Stan’s favorite coffee houses was the Boboquivari in old town Scottsdale. Stan met folk singer Ron Ryan at the Boboquivari in 1958. Ron was touring and singing constantly and returned to Phoenix in 1962 where he and Stan opened their own coffee house, The Mews. It was located on Miller Rd south of Camelback in an old single-story complex. The Mews was successful but Stan wanted his own place with a beer and wine license so he opened The Blue Goat across the patio from the Mews. As the folk singing era and coffee houses waned, the Blue Goat prospered, The Mews was absorbed into The Blue Goat. From The Blue Goat It was a short walk to the new Cork and Cleaver steak house, on 75th St in Scottsdale where Stan often went to eat. As the Cork got busier and busier and Stan had to wait longer and longer to get a table, he decided to open his own steak house. He wanted to build two new restaurants and chose a very creative architect he had met at The Blue Goat, Douglas Whitneybell, to design the two restaurants. The Bombay Bicycle Club (1969) on Stetson Dr in Scottsdale and The Salt Cellar on Hayden Rd in Scottsdale (1970). Both prospered and the Salt Cellar still operates. Stan sold both his restaurants when they were still very successful so he could have more time to return to the landscape industry and play more croquet. He started Patmor Landscape specializing in new residential design and installations. Stan’s backyard croquet court was where the Arizona Croquet Club was founded in 1975. He became more involved in croquet and traveled to new clubs in the west, teaching and helping organize tournaments. All the high-quality croquet equipment was made overseas, was expensive and costly to ship. Stan started “Arizona Croquet Mallets,” selling less expensive locally manufactured quality mallets and equipment. In 1986 Stan was instrumental in starting the first International Croquet Singles Championship hosted by Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards in Windsor, CA. In 1987 Stan helped found the American Croquet Association to promote the play of the Association or International Rules croquet, slightly different than the American rules. In 1987 Stan also organized the first American Croquet Association US Open Championships held at Sonoma-Cutrer annually until 1990. In 1991 that annual tourney moved to the Mission Hills Croquet Club in Rancho Mirage, CA, where it is still held. For his decades of dedication to the sport of croquet Stan was inducted into the United States Croquet Association Hall of Fame in 1995. Stan was a unique and diverse person and his brother Gary Patmor and his wife Sheri sum up Stan’s qualities well: Gary said, “The varied accomplishments in his lifetime were nothing short of amazing. Always the consummate host, attentive to every detail in his work, he always left a memorable impression with everyone he met. He will not be forgotten. He was part of my life for 86 years, my little brother, and his passing leaves an emptiness that will never be filled.” Sheri adds, “I met Stan after meeting his brother, Gary, 30 years ago…..Stan made a mean martini, dry, like his sense of humor, was a great cook and generous orator of wisdom. We could talk about anything and everything. I so respected him and always signed off with “I love you, Uncle Stan,” to which he’d say “And I love you.” They weren’t just words…we meant it. He was the very definition of the word “Gentleman” and I will always miss him. His voice, his face, will remain in my heart.” Stan’s sister Kay fondly recalls, “When we lived in Phoenix Stan and I often spent his lunch hours together. We spent weeks trying to make bread, calling mom to find out what we were doing wrong, finally we succeeded. I taught my kids and grandkids to make bread and pies, all the time telling stories of Stan and his lessons in good food. He is always in my heart. ”Stan’s stepsister, Margo, is his only family member that lives in Phoenix. Margo brought Stan great joy and her love during her frequent visits to the Beatitudes, where he moved to in 2019. Later when he moved to an assisted living group home in Scottsdale, Margo continued to visit often and brighten his day until the very end. Ron and Betsy Ryan visited Stan frequently in Scottsdale, Ron would play his guitar and they would sing some of Stan’s favorite songs. Ted and Rosemary Newman also came to Scottsdale often to play guitar and sing Stan’s favorites. Stanley is survived by his brother Gary Patmor (Sheri), sister Kay Dyson, stepsister Margo Marque, nephew Dean Patmor (Lyn), niece Dawn Crivello (Tony), nephews Mike Dyson (Kandi), Greg Dyson (Jodi), Tom Dyson, and 8 grand nephews and nieces. Niece Deanna Dyson Lamb predeceased Stanley. Messinger Indian School Mortuary in Scottsdale carried out Stan’s wishes to be cremated. Stan also requested that there be no services. Donations can be made to Hospice of the Valley. You can leave condolences and read Stan’s obituary at the Messinger Morturary link; https://www11.funeralwebhost.com/myt/obituary/Stanley-Patmor. There will be a Celebration of Life for Stan at Duke’s Sports Bar and Grill, 7607 E McDowell Rd, in Scottsdale on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, from 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm, for family and friends.