The MIHS Islander staff are deeply saddened by the passing of beloved history and economics teacher John Stafford. Our thoughts are with his family during the difficult time. Below, you can find the reflections and memories from MIHS community members.
I loved playing jazz with him and having political and historical conversations with him. Although he was an intimidating figure in the classroom, with music he was very humble and would play anything we wanted. He was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known.
– Jascha Silberstein, Senior
Stafford is one of the few teachers who genuinely changed my life. He transformed the way I thought about history and its ties to the present. He also demonstrated unique, genuine interest in his students’ humanity.
Whenever I would email Stafford inviting him to one of my productions, he would reply with a percentage representing the likelihood of him actually attending. Despite his frequent complaints about musical theater, he came to see multiple shows, at the school and even over the summer. And I know I am one of many examples of him going out of his way to support students.
I can’t stop thinking about how he’ll never get his twin daughters with embroidered jeans.
– Kyle Gerstel, Senior
I’m so grateful that I got the opportunity to be a part of your class and learn from you. I will never forget all the funny moments and valuable lessons I learned in your class and I will be sure to keep grappling with the material in the future.
– Ryder Davis, Senior
When I was presenting a research journal I read for a project, he asked me to send him the name of the article. I was appreciative of the interest he showed in my work and efforts.
– Sebastian Pong, Senior
Dear Mr Stafford , you were my favorite teacher. I hope you know how much of an impact you had on every single student you had. In every class period I had with you you never failed to both teach me something and also make me laugh. I would come home from school almost everyday excited to tell my parents about a funny story from 6th period Macro class, it truly was my favorite time of the day. I am so grateful for the months I had with you as my teacher, and for the fact I got to study under “Stafford Inc.” (I will be putting that on my resume) Thank you for everything. You will be missed by so so many.
– Hadley Holtzclaw, Senior
Thank you for being the best, most humorous, and knowledgeable teacher I’ve ever had. Time flies by when I’m in your classroom. It is just so entertaining listening to your lessons. I love how you brought us so much joy and challenges into this class. Hope you have a nice, long vacation. Thank you once again, Mr Stafford.
– Judy Zeng
I remember him constantly critiquing Joel Embiid for not playing two games in a row, and calling him “soft”
– Massimo Maggiani, Junior
I’ve never seen someone with a passion for understanding how the world works like the one Mr. Stafford possessed. He was a precise, caring, morally firm man and I’ll never forget his impacts on me in my few short months with him.
– Liam M, Junior
Although I only had you as my teacher for four months, I learned more in those four months than I have ever learned in a class before. Thank you for being the best teacher I’ve come to know.
– Ava Williamson, Junior
I once had a gig that my drummer couldn’t make and some of the other members in the group had the idea to ask Mr. Stafford to fill in for him. I didn’t really know him then and i thought that there would be no way that a teacher would join us but he said yes. When the time came to play he showed up on time and just played drums super relaxed and having a good time with us. At the end of it we tried to give him a share of the money we made or even a gift for filling in but he wouldn’t accept anything. I will forever remember and cherish the kindness that he showed to me.
– Lukas FW
Bryce and I had opposing viewpoints during an in-class discussion, so Stafford made us arm wrestle in the middle of the class.
– Benjamin Engelman, Senior
I had Mr. Stafford as a teacher both my junior and senior year at MIHS. He is one of the only teachers I’ve ever had who encouraged students to come to class in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding, rather than in pursuit of a grade. He truly cared about his students becoming better thinkers and more educated members of society, outside of just the scope of his class. Mr. Stafford was truly one of a kind and MIHS was blessed to have him for as long as we did.
– Callum Neher, 2023 Alum
Mr. Stafford always said that the content he taught us should be internalized and grappled with. “Get it into your bloodstream,” he would say. I never realized that a part of him was streaming in as well. Over the year and a half I spent walking into that classroom, I always felt I would leave just a little smarter with whatever knowledge Mr. Stafford would drop on us that day—unless, of course, he tried to tell me that Bill Russell was the best basketball player of all time.
Through all the frameworks and models he delicately taught us, the one thing he didn’t prepare us for was what it would be like without him there. Although, I’m sure he would’ve told us to “student B” our way through it.
It’s difficult to sum up Mr. Stafford in a short text, as he wasn’t exactly one for brevity. I learned that through his many points and even more subpoints, which often kept us a few minutes past class time almost every day. But as Mr. Stafford would say, “Don’t pack up early; you should be thanking me for letting you take out more notes. Your best notes are taken at the end of class.”
And man, he was right. Those “best notes” became even clearer when I realized I would never get to take any more of them.
– Max Laban, Senior
I would always leave his class feeling stupid, yet at the same time so much smarter because of him.
– Ian Carmichael, Junior
He was the first teacher that pushed me. Will never forget him. I hope somewhere he knows his effort was not unnoticed.
– Teague Conder, 2019 Alum
He made a really funny joke in Islander Hour about going on his dream trip. Hopefully he will have that trip up there.
– Jeremey Steinhart, Sophomore
The past two years I had Mr. Stafford for economic courses and am grateful to have been a part of his community, both in the classroom and outside of it. My favorite memory of him is when he grilled me for not understanding economies of scale (simple econ concept) and made me feel embarrassed. Initially, I was pretty upset at him, but then I realized that he had pushed me to a limit that no other teacher had before. He had done this not to be disrespectful, but rather because he believed in the potential that I and other students have to excel past their self-perceived limitations.
– Sebastian Gonzalez, Senior
I was a TA last year and I was delivering a note. Every time I went into his classroom, I could tell that he was a beloved teacher. Getting back to the story, every time I walked in his class he would say “is that for me I want to go home.” It still makes me laugh today. He was so nice. He had such a positive impact on your school and your city. We will miss him. I hope that he is having fun in the afterlife and cracking jokes with Abraham Lincoln.
– Anonymous Community Member
Mr. Stafford pushed our class to think deeply and to be informed, interested, and engaged in the world around us. He taught us to be better citizens of our country. I will always be grateful for my time in his classroom.
– Hannah Whobrey, 2019 Alum
John Stafford made me excited to come to his class and learn everyday. He never failed to make me laugh while also helping me see the deeper meaning in things. I have never met someone who was as positive and inspiring as Mr. Stafford. I will forever be in Student B mode, grappling with the lizards and snakes because of the lessons Stafford taught my colleagues and me inside the classroom. Thank you John Stafford for everything.
– Chase Warnick, Senior
You got me excited to come into first period APUSH every day with your humor and amazing teaching that really made me think about the implications of the material. You were an amazing teacher, and an amazing person who inspired so much in your students. Whether it be to stay highly informed of the world’s current events, or to think about problems from many different points of view, you encouraged me to strive to form my own opinions and really think about the world I live in. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to learn from you and you will be greatly missed Mr. Stafford.
– Henrik Varnes
It was the first day of my junior year in Mr. Stafford’s 7th period Microeconomics class. We were saying interesting facts about ourselves as part of an icebreaker, and I mentioned that I played baseball. Mr. Stafford said that he used to be an umpire, and, without hesitation, took 5 minutes out of our 20 minute class period to set up a mock pitching mound. He made me throw a pitch, and showed the whole class his “strike 3” call. That was my first impression of him as a teacher. Since then, I’d see Mr. Stafford walking through the halls quite frequently, and we’d get chances to connect about baseball outside of the classroom. He never missed a chance to make fun of me, or crack a joke. He was a great teacher who genuinely cared about his students. We all love you Mr. Stafford, you will be greatly missed.
– Kellan Wu, 2024 Alum
I will go to the coffee shop to get all the econ concepts into my blood. Thank you Mr. Stafford.
– Yuki Ye, 2024 Alum
I remember seeing him at a football game during the start of the year and I said hi to him and he had the most genuine smile and it made me feel very welcome and close to him.
– Ben Park, Senior
My memories of MIHS will forever be unequivocally tied to my memories of John Stafford. Classes and semesters have come and gone, but I will never forget sitting in class on the first day and being taught the 14 global challenges; nor will I forget the unmatched elation amongst his former students as he recited all 14 of them on the Benaroya Hall stage at graduation, just as he had in class. I will never forget the words “hegemony,” “zeitgeist,” or “economies of scale,” his declarative yelling of the words “girlboss power,” nor will I forget his love for piña coladas at 13 Coins and “coffee shop” mochas with which he would urge us to contemplate the far-reaching implications of his class lectures and rants. I will never forget the surprise birthday party we threw him in class, bringing him Mountain Dew and a card, and for Christmas a pink dinosaur pillow to accompany his plastic toy one, Frank. I will never forget the spring Washington DC trip he led my senior year, nor will I forget visiting him this past summer with friends, hearing his opinions on the state of the world, as if he were my teacher once again. Mr. Stafford’s legacy remains imprinted into the minds of each and every student who passed through his classroom, including myself, and my older brother before me. His legacy remains in the live photo from my graduation party that lives in my camera roll, in which you can hear him call 0.5 photos the “decline of America,” after which he cracks a rare smile. I offer my deepest condolences to Mr. Stafford’s family, colleagues, his students, and all those who had the privilege of calling him a teacher, mentor or friend. Rest in peace Mr. Stafford, and thank you for everything.
– Elliot Geer, 2023 Alum
Thank you Mr. Stafford for opening my eyes to what learning truly means. You have to “get in the gutter” as you would say and always ask questions and draw connections to other topics until you completely understood the topic at hand. That viewpoint of learning has changed my life. I will never forget that and the impact you have had on my life. Rest In Peace.
– Damon Marcou, 2023 Alum
Thank you for everything, Mr. Stafford. From traveling with you to Washington DC for Closeup to AP Macroeconomics, I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with any other teacher. Your passion and enthusiasm electrified the classroom. Even as a college sophomore, I still think back to the rigorous education and discipline you developed in me. I try every day to be a student A, putting time in at the coffee shop.
You believed in us. You always trusted that we had the capacity to change the world, if we were willing to do the work. We knew that we could do anything.
I miss talking to you in the hallway after class about policy. I wish you could have come out to DC one more time. I think about how well you taught me when I see some of the same models in 400 level economics classes that we covered in your class. Your advice to me about college is still front and center in my mind. Along with many of my fellow Macro and Closeup students, you live on in the enduring joy and enlightenment you instilled in our souls. Thank you.
– Jake Glasser, 2023 Alum
I brought Mr. Kinsey and Mr. Goldhammer caramel macchiatos but Goldhammer did not want it. So I asked Kinsey which teacher would want it and without hesitation he said that Stafford would love it. I was able to catch Mr. Stafford before his 2nd period class and gave him the drink. He didn’t know me but I told him I’m Kinsey’s student. Stafford accepted it and thanked me greatly for giving this to him because he hadn’t had breakfast that day and needed a pick me up. He never rejected anything you gave to him and always returned favors with gratitude. He really made my morning that day.
– Raissa Stefan, Senior
I have had the luxury to spend the last two years in Mr. Staffords class. It’s funny that when asked to reflect on all my time spent with him I can only seem to remember all the things we couldn’t do. Mr. Stafford has promised me two things for the year, ones that will now only last in my memory.
I have had an ongoing promise with Stafford since last year that he would bring a picture of him in high school. Last assembly when I saw him, I brought up the fact that he didn’t hold his end of the bargain. He told me to email him again to remind him to bring a picture of him young, I never emailed him. His other promise to me was that when the year ended, he would give me his green brachiosaurus jellycat sitting on his desk because I stole it every class period and I insisted he give it to me. I will never get the green stuffed animal, he will never yell at me for being late to class, I will never see him trotting to his car between fourth and fifth, I will never talk to him again.
Those were just the things I’ve talked about with him, but he will never know he would’ve been invited to my graduation party. He will never know what college I will go to. He will never know that ever since last year I had planned on writing him one of those alumni emails (that he received a surprising amount of) praising his teaching abilities, which he would read to his whole Econ class with pride masked by his sarcastic arrogance.
I’m shameful to admit that the root of me and Stafford’s relationship blossomed by the fact that I had dodgy attendance last year but now I understand that if it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have been able to have so many meaningful conversations with him one on one after school. Meetings and conversations where he wasn’t as nearly as mean or disappointed as others assumed to be.
Finally, I just wish that he didn’t have to be working up until his death, I wish he could’ve spent his last weeks drowning in bridge tournaments, baileys on the rock, and in 13 Coins with a full live jazz band playing for him, personally. Lastly, I just wish I wished for those things sooner.
– Jena Yuri Lee, Senior
This story will be updated as more reflections are sent in.
