Stanley Pearson

**Stanley Pearson** was the husband of Marilyn Pearson and the father of Jack Pearson and Nicky Pearson.

## History

At some point, he married Marilyn. On August 31st, 1944, Jack was born. He was their only child for four years.

Nicky was born on October 18th, **1948** at 11:58 pm, weighing 7.2lbs. On the day of his birth, Stanley tells his son, Jack, that it is an older brother's only duty to look after and protect his younger brother. Jack takes this to heart, taking it on himself to protect his brother throughout their childhood as their father turns to alcoholism and becomes abusive to the family.

**Stanley slicing ice cream like it’s cake**. It’s one of the few childhood memories involving Stanley that the Pearson brothers can look back on fondly.

In **1969**, shortly before Nicky gets drafted, he's living with his parents. Things with Stanley seem decent, but signs of his cruelty still emerge as the family gathers to watch the moon landing.

One night, Nicky's girlfriend (Sally) asks Nick to leave town with her for a music festival (Woodstock) and then California. Nick hesitantly agrees, but the night of his intended departure, Nick's resolve appears to fade after a warm exchange with his father and after he observes his parents embracing. Nick leaves Sally in the lurch. One Small Step ...

After **1972** **Jack moves his mother out of their house as his father’s abuse gets worse.**

**1980** Jacks ask money from Stanley, but he lies about his reasons. He tells Stanley that he has gambling debts. He doesnt tell that he wants a house in which the family of five will fit.

**August 31, 1980: Jack Pearson’s 36th birthday and Rebecca goes into labor.** Jack calls Stanley and he asks what did Stanley pray in the church when he was little. Stanley answers that he prayed for his sons to be better than him.

**1988 Stanley dies.** It happens while Jack is off on a camping trip with the boys. Rebecca and Kate head to the nursing home, where Rebecca meets her father-in-law, Stanley, for the first time. They reach Jack before Stanley passes, but he wants nothing to do with his dad. Rebecca has to tell Stanley that Jack isn’t coming — she also mentions that Jack is a great father, despite what Stanley did to him.

## Relationships

###### Romantic

Stanley started off as a good husband to Marilyn, but overtime he began drinking and abused her heavily. When Jack is an adult, he moves Marilyn out of the house so she can stay with her friend. Later, he drives her to her cousin Debby, who lives in Ohio. It is assumed they divorce at some point.

Over a decade later, Jack demands that Stanley does not attend Marilyn’s funeral. Stanley becomes angry and insists he’ll do as he pleases, but doesn’t show up.

###### Familial

Between Jack and Nicky being born, he was an attentive and gentle father. Stanley tells Jack that it is an older brother’s duty to protect his younger brother. As a result, Jack is extremely protective of Nicky during their childhood and early adulthood.

During their later childhood, Stanley becomes abusive and cold. Jack rarely spoke of him once he moved out and had his own family. According to Nicky, he was a “bastard”, but could “be kind of fun” at times, most likely when he wasn’t drunk. He began a tradition where he would take boxed ice cream and slice it like cake to amuse his boys. Depending on how good they were that day, he’d give them a large “slice”. This continued with Jack and his children, and Nicky did it with Kevin in Storybook Love.

As a young kid, Jack accidentally breaks his sled and Marilyn hides it to prevent Stanley from getting upset. When Jack is older, Stanley forces him to drive home despite Jack being underage.

Stanley was particularly hard on Nicky for being sensitive and different. He called him “Jack’s sister” and degraded him for being doted on by his mother. As a small child, Nicky expresses fear of his father after his glasses break, and he and Jack hide under the stairs during one family thanksgiving when their father is in a bad mood.

## Appearances

* **The Right Thing to Do**
* **Moonshadow**
* **Brothers**
* **Nine Bucks**
* **Katie Girls**
* **Vietnam**
* **Storybook Love**
* **Forty: Part Two**
* **Changes**
* **There**
* **One Small Step ...**
* Don’t Let Me Keep You