Joseph C. Stangl was a businessman and community activist. Stangl was born at Quantock, Saskatchewan in 1919. He attended St. Thomas College in Battleford from 1934-1937 obtaining the equivalent of a second year university education. In 1937, he moved to Winnipeg where he took a secretarial course that enabled him to get a job with Crane Ltd the following year. He married Katherine Mary Ottenbreit in 1940. In 1943, they moved to Saskatoon where their first daughter Judith Ann was born. Stangl left Crane Ltd in 1950 to return to Winnipeg as a Sales Manager for Anthes Foundary Ltd. Stangl remained with Anthes until 1968 when he took early retirement at the age of 49 as the General Sales Manager for Western Canada.

He was active in his local parish and in several Catholic organizations and was honoured with a papal knighthood in 1958. After his retirement, Stangl acted as the Secretary-Treasurer of St. Paul’s High School for 13 years. He was also involved in education issues at the local, provincial, national and international levels, including the Manitoba School Question. He was President of the Manitoba Association of School Trustees from 1973-1974 and was also president of the Manitoba Federation of Independent Schools Inc.

His community efforts resulted in numerous awards, including the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977, the Order of Canada in 1980, the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

In 2002, he published his memoirs as Life’s Challenges: A Man for Others. He died in Winnipeg on November 10, 2013.