Arthur Stanton was Army captain, well-regarded dentist

Arthur Stanton, a dentist from Merrick who graduated in Calhoun High School’s class of 1960, its first class, and later served as a captain in the U.S. Army Dental Corps during the Vietnam War, died on June 25 at Exeter Hospital in New Hampshire after a long battle with lymphoma. He was 72.

Stanton most recently lived in North Hampton, N.H. The son of the late Sidney and Beatrice (Lyons) Stanton, he was born on Staten Island on March 8, 1943, and raised in Merrick with two brothers. After Calhoun, he attended the University of Pittsburgh on a wrestling scholarship. He received both his bachelor’s and dental degrees from Pittsburgh. He married Bonita Keller at Heinz Chapel on the Pittsburgh campus on June 11, l966.

Immediately after graduation from dental school, Stanton was commissioned as a captain in the Army Dental Corps, serving two years of active duty during the Vietnam War and remaining in the Army Reserves for another four. During his military service, he wrestled for the Army, distinguishing himself during competition. He was honorably discharged in 1974.

When Stanton returned to his hometown of Merrick with his family, he opened a private dental practice and raised his family with his wife. He built a well-regarded practice, becoming a community pillar. All of his children graduated from Calhoun High School. Stanton served as president of Calhoun High School’s Sports Boosters and the Olympic Village Track Club. An avid runner, Stanton ran 15 marathons, including the New York and Boston marathons, posting a personal best time of 2:55:06.

Arthur and Bonita moved to North Hampton to be part of the beautiful seacoast community and to be near their family living there. They became faithful parishioners of St. Theresa Church.

In addition to his wife, Stanton is survived by the couple’s daughter, Kimberly Corona, and her husband, Christopher, their sons, Christopher Stanton and his wife, Elmira (Khusnutdinova), and Ashton Lee Stanton, and his wife, Erin (Latham); grandchildren, Francesca and Enzo Corona, Timur, Scarlet and Alexander Stanton, and Cameron, Devin and Ashton Stanton, and his brother, Michael Stanton and his wife, Joan (Weber). His parents and his brother James predeceased him.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated for Stanton on July 11 at St. Theresa Church in Rye Beach, N.H. Burial was private. In lieu of flowers, the family suggested that donations be made to Massachusetts General Hospital. List Arthur C. Stanton on the donation check and send it to: Massachusetts General Hospital, Development Office, 100 Cambridge St., Suite 1310,
Boston, Mass. 02114, or donate online at https://giving.massgeneral.org/ways-to-give/#tribute.