John Stafford ’84

John Stafford ’84 passed away on December 12, 2024. John grew up in Bellevue, Washington. At Dartmouth he played on the junior varsity basketball team, joined Kappa Sigma, and majored in history. He went on to receive a master’s in teaching from St. Martin’s University and a master’s in history from Harvard Extension School. In 1984 John moved to Washington, D.C., where he had a successful career as a management consultant and partner at Strategic Planning Associates, later serving as a consultant with the World Health Organization. After returning to Seattle in the early 1990s, John worked as a substitute teacher while pursuing an interest in local politics and running for statewide office. In 2017 John began teaching AP history and economics at Mercer Island High School, where he loved engaging with students and encouraged informed, lifelong learning. His classroom was described as challenging, substantive, and spontaneous and was characterized by his singular sense of humor. In May 2024 John was honored as outstanding educator by the Parent Teacher Association. John’s many pursuits included duplicate bridge, drumming with Seattle’s Jazz Night School, volunteering with political and climate-focused organizations, writing for the South Seattle Emerald, attending church, working out at the YMCA, playing golf and piano, serving as a baseball umpire, supporting his students’ activities, frequenting lectures and cultural events, spending time with family, and traveling—most recently to China and Vietnam. John is survived by sisters Ann and Jane and many nieces and nephews.