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.html
"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
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