STANFORD JOHN HENRY

MG John Henry Stanford was a potential VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 11/28/2001 at the age of 63.2 from Leukemia
Seattle, WA
Date of Birth 09/14/1938
Served in the U.S. Army
This information was provided by George Miller

More detail on this person: Retired Maj. Gen. John H. Stanford - former deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Aviation Systems Command - died in Seattle, Wash., on November 28 following a seventh-month battle with leukemia. He was 60.

During his 30 years on active duty Stanford held a variety of important posts. In addition to his tenure at AVSCOM, Stanford served as executive secretary to Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger from November 1981 to June 1984. His last assignment was with the U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., where he oversaw Operation Desert Storm plans and programs. Following his retirement from active duty Stanford became a county manager in Fulton County, Ga. He became the Seattle superintendent of schools in July 1995 - a position he held until his death - and had delivered the education address to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago August 1996.

Stanford was buried in Section 7A of Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, Dec. 4. His wife, Patricia, received the flag covering his casket from Army Chief of Staff Gen. Dennis J. Reimer.

Donations in Stanford's memory may be made to: The John Stanford Endowment Fund for Seattle Schools at the Alliance for Education, 500 Union Street,

Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98101 (20) 343-0449; or The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N., Seattle, WA 98019 (206) 667-4902.

From: Barbara Ross, AAAA National Office

John Henry Stanford, Sept. 14, 1938 - Nov. 28, 1998: Seattle schools chief dies after battle with leukemia

by Jolayne Houtz and Dick Lilly, Seattle Times staff reporters

John Henry Stanford, the energetic former army general who captured the hopes and hearts of a city with his charismatic style as Seattle schools superintendent, died at 1:35 a.m. today at Swedish Medical Center. He was 60.

Mr. Stanford had been undergoing treatment for acute myelogenous leukemia, which was diagnosed in March.

Memorial gathering: An informal gathering to give people an opportunity to share their grief over Mr. Stanford's death is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. today, near the International Fountain at Seattle Center.

"His death was due to the reoccurrence of his leukemia and complications from the subsequent treatment for the leukemia," according to a statement from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Mr. Stanford underwent a stem-cell transplant under the supervision of the center's doctors in August and has been under their care since.

Despite the transplant, which is similar in purpose to a bone marrow transplant, Mr. Stanford's cancer returned in mid-October. He had been hospitalized for about six weeks, and his calls to school district officials - which during previous treatments still came enthusiastically and almost daily - had dwindled almost to silence.

"This news makes us all terribly sad. Our thoughts and prayers go out to John's family and we ask that the community support them during this difficult time," said Barbara Schaad-Lamphere, School Board president.

Share your memories: You can read what others have said at http://www.seattletimes.com/stanford/share/index.h tml

"What a privilege it has been to work with such a remarkable man," Schaad-Lamphere said this morning. "His legacy will be a focus on children . . . to have education, children's lives at the center of everything we do in this city."

"John dedicated every ounce of himself to our children," said Seattle Mayor Paul Schell. "He put public education at the top of the civic agenda, and leaves us with a legacy of community responsibility to our children and their education. It is now up to all of us to continue the fight, to strive to achieve the goals John laid out for Seattle's families and children."

Said Gov. Gary Locke: "John Stanford was a creative and thoughtful educational leader and one of the best things that ever happened to Seattle public schools. He was an incredible role model."

"We have lost an incredible leader and a dear, dear friend. Our staff, this city and the children we serve will miss him dearly," said Joseph Olchefske, who has been acting superintendent since June. "John has been a brother, a friend, a partner and a leader to all of us. I wish this day were not here."

An informal gathering to give people an opportunity to share their grief over Mr. Stanford's death was scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. today near the International Fountain at Seattle Center, school officials said.

A memorial service will be scheduled next week, likely at Key Arena, said Trevor Neilson, school district spokesman. Principals will be meeting Sunday at district headquarters to coordinate their plans.

Mr. Stanford will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers those wishing to remember him should direct their contributions to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center or the Alliance for Education, the non-profit civic organization that raises private funds for the Seattle School District. Donations in Mr. Stanford's name will be placed in an endowment fund in his memory, said Joel Groen, vice president and development director for the Alliance.

On Monday, the school district expects to have counselors in every school. "Kids in Seattle knew John and he knew them personally. We want to make sure they have a chance to express their grief," said Neilson.

One way Mr. Stanford made his mark on the district was through the children. He was constantly visiting schools. "He loved the children and they knew it," said Schaad-Lamphere. Among students, "he was more recognizable than the governor at times," she said.

Olchefske said he visited several schools with Mr. Stanford and members of the rock band Pearl Jam. The kids ran up to Stanford, not the famous band members, Olchefske recalled.

Nor did Mr. Stanford forget the children. Having inspired one young girl who was thrilled to read on stage with him at a public event, Mr. Stanford asked about her grades when he next visited the girl's school, said Pat Sander, then-principal at Bailey Gatzert Elementary School.

Drawing other people into his dreams, making them feel a part of what was going on, was part of his greatness, Sander said, remembering an evening event at her school with her parents at the back of the room. Seeing them, Mr. Stanford told the students that he was sure their principal's mother and father read to each other every night. Improving students' reading was Mr. Stanford's first initiative upon joining the district, and a goal he pursued without letup.

Throughout his eight-month fight with leukemia, Mr. Stanford never gave up, said those close to him. During a long coversation in his hospital room a week ago, Neilson said he asked Mr. Stanford if he ever wondered "Why me?"

" 'Trevor,' " said Mr. Stanford, "leaders don't have the luxury of self pity.' "

Mr. Stanford was born Sept. 14, 1938, in the Philadelphia suburb of Darby, Pa. After a successful career in the U.S. Army, from which he retired as a major general in 1991, he served as county manager of Fulton County, Ga., before coming to Seattle as school superintendent in 1995.

With his commanding leadership style and an infectious optimism, Mr. Stanford brought a renewed sense of hope and excitement about public schools to Seattle. Test scores, enrollment, public support and private donations to the schools all increased during his tenure.

`The job he was born to do'

In Seattle, "John found the job he was born to do," said Don Nielsen, School Board vice president, who helped recruit Mr. Stanford for the job and then became a close friend.

This is the second time in less than 18 months that a much-loved leader has died of this disease in Seattle. Catholic Archbishop Thomas Murphy died June 26, 1997, at the age of 64, of a brain hemorrhage while undergoing chemotherapy for the same kind of leukemia.

Like Murphy, Mr. Stanford will be remembered for his tireless efforts and the passionate focus he brought to his work on behalf of children as well as his courage in the face of cancer.

In his three-plus years on the job, Mr. Stanford's enthusiasm inspired people far beyond the schools themselves.

He attracted national attention as one of the rare examples of a non-educator leading an urban school district. The district received weekly calls from the national media and educators wanting information about Mr. Stanford and the Seattle schools.

But Mr. Stanford deflected the praise, instead attributing the successes to principals, teachers and students and turning that belief into his oft-repeated mantra: "The victory is in the classroom."

He asked well-wishers to focus on the schools rather than on his battle with cancer, and the city responded by donating more than $550,000 to a special book fund in his honor.

Inspired by the children

Seattle Mayor Paul Schell said Mr. Stanford broadened people's vision of the place of schools in their neighborhoods and in the city. He had "true passion and (was) not afraid to step out there and be a real cheerleader, and a real motivator."

Schell remembers Mr. Stanford telling him that "when he (Mr. Stanford) was really exhausted he would go off to a school somewhere and talk to the kids and that would give him energy."

Dorothy Dubia, communications director for Seattle Public Schools during Mr. Stanford's first two years on the job, probably saw as much of the superintendent in action as anyone in the city during that time.

"I soon learned that `impossible,' `can't,' `retreat' and `failure' were not in his vocabulary," she said. "I also learned he had a strategic reason for nearly everything he did" - including the trial balloons he frequently floated during his first year, often taking his staff by surprise.

"He was focused on the strategy, and it worked," Dubia said. "He did create excitement and interest in the Seattle Public Schools. He did stimulate discussion and find solutions. And he did make a difference in the lives of our children and taxpayers."

Carolyn Stanford Adams, Mr. Stanford's oldest sister, who was the donor in the Aug. 11 stem-cell transplant doctors hoped might defeat his cancer, talked about her brother in an interview last summer.

"Leadership ability has always been a part of him, but I think that when he came and realized he could make a difference for children - that's what it's been about for him," she said. "It's the rapport with the children that's catapulted him into this enthusiasm."

Stanford Adams said she wasn't surprised about the leadership her brother exhibited in Seattle. From the age of 12 or 13, Mr. Stanford was always like this, she said, leading fellow students as class president, organizing activities for neighborhood friends.

"He was never content to follow," she said.

District at a key point in reform

That leadership skill is what the Seattle School District will miss most. The district is at a key point in its reform efforts, and there's a critical need for a strong leader to carry through initiatives Mr. Stanford launched.

Making real changes in the classroom is delicate work, requiring a leader who can maintain and build on what's already been accomplished, who can win the trust of teachers using both a firm hand and a diplomatic touch.

But it's a bigger role now than it was three years ago. Mr. Stanford redefined the job of urban school superintendent to encompass civic leadership, not just school administration.

Finding someone with his unique combination of vision, energy and personal magnetism to meet the public's new, heightened expectations is likely to prove challenging.

It's unclear who will fill that job. The Seattle School Board has not publicly discussed a plan for what to do next. For now, Joseph Olchefske, the district's chief operating officer, who has been acting superintendent during Mr. Stanford's treatment, will continue in that role.

Mr. Stanford is survived by his wife, Patricia; sons Steven and Scott; and his sisters, Cecile Stanford Williams of Yeadon, Pa., and Carolyn Stanford Adams of Miami.

Burial information: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA

This information was last updated 05/18/2016

Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters

Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list

Return to VHPA web site

Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024


Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association