GONE WEST
Edward Stimpson
6/18/1934 – 11/25/2009
Edward StimpSon, Eaa 525346, one of general aviation’s staunchest advocates and a founder and longtime
president of the General Aviation Manufacturers
Association (GAMA), passed away at the age of 75 after
a battle with cancer. He was a major proponent of the
General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994 signed by
President Bill Clinton to prevent general aviation companies from being named as defendants in lawsuits in
crashes of small planes 18 years old or older. Such onerous litigation was largely blamed for the sharp
downturn in GA manufacturing that cost 100,000
industry jobs. Ed retired from GAMA in 1996 to chair
of the Be A Pilot program. He was later appointed by
President Clinton as ambassador to the International
Civil Aviation Organization.
“Ed Stimpson was an outstanding leader in the avia-
tion community both domestically and on a global
basis,” said EAA Chairman/President Tom Poberezny.
“He represented integrity, dedication, and persever-
ance. We are saddened by his loss.”
EAA presented Ed with the Freedom of Flight Award
at AirVenture 1998. That year he also received the Wright
Brothers Memorial Trophy for public service in aviation.
Ed was born in Bellingham, Washington, the oldest of
seven children. He graduated from Harvard College and
received a graduate degree from the University of
Washington in Seattle. He and his wife, Dorothy, met as
employees at the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962. They settled
in Idaho after Ed was hired as a lobbyist for Boise-based
engineering firm Morrison Knudsen Corp. in 1989.
Friends and family are invited to post obituaries and sign a
memorial guestbook online for Ed and other EAAers who have “gone
west” at
www.EAA.org/obituaries. The names and stories of each
person enshrined on EAA’s Memorial Wall in Oshkosh, Wisconsin,
are also available here.
IN MEMORY OF
“Not alone into the sunset but into the company of friends who have gone before them.”
Daniel Adams (EAA 278490)
Cheney, Washington
Albert Alessandra (EAA 771722)
San Clemente, California
Howard Anderson (EAA 301375)
Scottsville, Virginia
Carl Atkinson (EAA 200574)
McAlester, Oklahoma
David Belcher (EAA 465627)
Abington, Massachusetts
Neil Bingham (EAA 183801)
Casa Grande, Arizona
Arlan Birkett (EAA 613117)
Madison, Wisconsin
E.L. Blanton (EAA 874495)
Fort Pierce, Florida
John Blossom (EAA 260361)
Chesterton, Indiana
Brian Bodine (EAA 591754)
Barberton, Ohio
Frank Carr (EAA 842719)
Sarasota, Florida
Robert Chinnery (EAA 91474)
Independence, Missouri
Charles Cummings (EAA 205970)
North Aurora, Illinois
Donald Dagenhart (EAA 690948)
Homestead, Florida
Gordon Dahlman (EAA 372740)
Yuba City, California
John Dugan (EAA 82735)
Ellensburg, Washington
Andrew Garratt (EAA 58437)
Hayden, Idaho
F. George (EAA 293588)
Plainfield, Illinois
James Granere (EAA 323197)
Hendersonville, North Carolina
Thomas Hoppe (EAA 251968)
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Kenneth Jacobi (EAA 320134)
Racine, Wisconsin
Steve Jeffries (EAA 876856)
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Harlan Klemm (EAA 403123)
Chico, California
Phil Kurfis (EAA 522400)
Warren, Ohio
Don Langford (EAA 365516),
Huntsville, Alabama
James Lantz (EAA 373171)
Sun City, California
Jens Larsen (EAA 665518)
Blokhus, Denmark
Wayne Leak (EAA 873451)
Mulberry, Indiana
J. Locklear (EAA 9014070)
Duncanville, Texas
Robert Maisey (EAA 48519)
Taupo, New Zealand
Wayne Markland (EAA 524661)
Fargo, North Dakota
Thomas Marley (EAA 153924)
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
John Paul Mckelvey (EAA 755910)
Oakford, Devon, United Kingdom
Richard Merian (EAA 12801)
Kingston, Tennessee
Horace Miller (EAA 346098)
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charles Moen (EAA 366997)
Newton, Iowa
William Morlan (EAA 1014437)
Kingsville, Missouri
George Nimm (EAA 33644)
Watertown, Wisconsin
Arthur Oberle (EAA 437662)
Colts Neck, New Jersey
William Paul (EAA 740331)
Tucson, Arizona
William Piper (EAA 6866)
Los Angeles, California
George Rattray (EAA 4123)
Beloit, Wisconsin
Ronald Rayburn (EAA 722951)
Kell, Illinois
Dan Richards (EAA 66190)
Bryant, Arkansas
Oscar Ringgold (EAA 4481)
New Brighton, Minnesota
George Robinson (EAA 489272)
Ocala, Florida
Melvin Romeis (EAA 18801)
West Allis, Wisconsin
Lester Rose (EAA 223282)
East Troy, Wisconsin
Larry Sapp (EAA 516475)
Cross City, Florida
Peter Schwartz (EAA 256217)
Spring Branch, Texas
Jerome Tuttle (EAA 186856)
Stoneville, North Carolina
William Weeks (EAA 67528)
Albany, Missouri
