March 29, 2006
“Time to say good-bye”
Funeral held for John Stammers
Friends and family of John Stammers said good-bye to him
at a bittersweet ceremony of remembrance in Toronto today.
Stammers, 62, a member of OPSEU Local 558, was critically
injured after being hit by a car while on picket duty March 20. He
died in hospital five days later.
Speakers at the funeral described John Stammers as caring,
dedicated, loving, friendly, patient, affable, helpful, strange, and
idiosyncratic, with a love of theatre and music and a sometimes corny
sense of humour. Stories of his life revealed a fascinating man behind
the unassuming title of accounting professor. As a young man, Stammers
worked in professional theatre for some years. As lighting designer
for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Stammers toured the world from Moscow
to Sydney to Missoula, Montana. He later worked for the Canadian
National Institute for the Blind. He earned an MBA in 1979 and is a
published author in the accounting field.
The west-end Toronto funeral chapel was standing-room only
as dozens of college faculty and students came to pay their respects.
OPSEU president Leah Casselman accompanied Eileen Burrows, president
of local 558; Toronto-area locals and the OPSEU college faculty
bargaining team were well represented. Jack Wilson and Tom Fernie,
from the executive of Local 415 at Algonquin, drove in from Ottawa for
the service.
Stammers is survived by Janet, his wife of 34 years, sons
Ryan and David, and brothers Rick and Michael and their families.
