Col. Stanley Martin Plies, D.D.S. ("Marty") of McKinney, Texas passed away on June 7, 2020, at the age of 81. He was born on November 8, 1938, to Stanley Saylor Plies and Ursula (Martin) Plies in Baltimore, Maryland.

Marty graduated from the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute high school in 1956, and he received his B.S. and D.D.S. degrees from the University of Maryland in 1961 and 1964, respectively.  He was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and assigned as a dental intern to Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas.  Following his internship, he was assigned to Howard AFB, Panama Canal Zone, from 1965 to 1968, from where he was sent on special duty assignments to treat U.S. military personnel and their families stationed as advisors in Central and South American countries.  

In 1968, Marty returned to Texas and began a two-year General Dentistry Residency at the University of Texas Dental Branch Houston and Wilford Hall Medical Center, receiving his M.S. degree in 1970.  He was then stationed at Keesler AFB, Mississippi from 1970 to 1974, where he was the Director of Dental Internships.  From 1974 to 1976, Marty was assigned to Clark AFB, Philippines, where he served as the Chairman of Restorative Dentistry and Oral Diagnosis.  He then returned to the United States and was stationed at Travis AFB, California, from 1976 to 1981, where he was the Director of the General Practice Residency as well as the Chairman of General Dentistry.  

For his third overseas assignment, Marty was stationed to the USAF Regional Medical Center in Wiesbaden, West Germany, from 1981 to 1988.  During this tour, Marty was sent on special duty assignments to work at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, USSR, where he treated U.S. State Department personnel and their families.  In 1983, he led the oral forensics team that successfully identified 239 of 241 U.S. Marines killed in the terrorist bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon.

In 1988, Marty returned to Travis AFB in California for his last active duty assignment, where he once again became the Director of the General Practice Residency program.  In 1994, he retired from active duty after 30 years of service and the training of 79 dental interns and residents.  Because Marty enjoyed teaching dentistry, he proceeded to join the faculties of the University of California San Francisco and University of the Pacific, where he continued to teach as an associate professor until 2010.

Marty returned to Texas in 2011 to enjoy his retirement.  He built a house in Lago Vista, where he lived a tranquil life on the shores of Lake Travis until moving to McKinney in 2018 to be closer to his daughter and grandchildren. He passed away suddenly at home of a suspected cerebrovascular accident.

Marty enjoyed traveling and visited more than 38 countries. In his younger days, he was a renowned fast-pitch softball pitcher who played on numerous intramural military teams and had a wall of trophies to show for it.  He was a constant source of trivia and relished quizzing other family members on historical, scientific, and geographic facts. He also enjoyed singing in the church choir, stamp collecting, and spending time with his grandchildren. Marty will be fondly remembered as being a proud father, grandfather, and patriot.  He was always generous with his time and selflessly sought every opportunity to help others.  

Marty married Cheryl Darlene Roberts in 1965, and was remarried to Sandra Angel in 1991, both of whom predeceased him.  His older brother Richard Plies also preceded him in death in 2003.  Marty is survived by his brother William Plies; his three children Jeffrey Plies (wife Mary), Christina Plies Osmer (husband Trevor), and Bradley Plies (wife Kimberly); and his eight grandchildren: Britton, Jonathan, Rowyn, Samuel, Tristan, Charles, Matrim, and Michael. 

A viewing and funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2020, at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, 821 South Greenville Avenue, Allen, Texas.  Viewing begins at 2:00 p.m. with the service immediately following at 3:00 p.m. Interment, with full military honors, will take place at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas, on June 22nd.