William R. Stamler Jr.

1934 - 2023

William R. Stamler Jr.
November 11, 1934 - February 8, 2023
Paris, Kentucky - William R. "Bill" Stamler died February 8, 2023 at his home in Paris, KY. He was the son of William Raymond "Ray" Stamler and Mary Buford Hodges. He was born November 11, 1934 in Beckley, WV. He was an Episcopalian. In 1961, he married Ellen Boyd in All Saints Chapel at the University of The South at Sewanee, TN. They have one daughter, Rose Mary Stamler Dow (Mrs. Philip). He is survived by Ellen, Rose Mary, and Phil.
Bill was educated at Millersburg Military Institute, Paris High School, and The University of the South at Sewanee. He was an Eagle Scout with a Bronze Palm, a member of Kappa Alpha Fraternity, the Order of the Gownsmen, and US Air Force ROTC. Upon graduation from Sewanee in 1956, he received a BA in Economics and a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant, US Air Force.
After 8 years on active duty in the US Air Force, first as a supply officer in Japan and later as a C-130 navigator, Bill resigned to assume the chairmanship of his family business, The W.R. Stamler Corporation. He joined the Air Force Reserves and continued to fly as a C-130 navigator until his retirement in 1980 . Bill retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and was a Master Navigator.
The W.R. Stamler Corporation was the premier manufacturer of feeder-breakers for surface and underground mining. Under Bill's leadership as Chairman and CEO, the company grew to have not only the headquarters and manufacturing facility in Millersburg, KY but also, subsidiaries in Australia, England, and South Africa.
Active in his community, Bill served on numerous boards. He was the Chairman of the Manufacturing Division of the American Mining Congress, President of the Paris/Bourbon County Chamber of Commerce, and a long-serving member of the Kentucky Bank Board of Directors. He was Chairman of the Board of Millersburg Military Institute, served on the Board of Regents at the University of the South, and the Board of Trustees at Alice Lloyd College. He was awarded the John R. Crawford Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of the South in 2016, the Transylvania Medal for Distinguished Service by a Non-Alumni by Transylvania University in 2009, and was the 1999 Bluegrass Chapter of the Boy Scouts Eagle Class Honoree.
A private service was held February 20, 2023 at All Saint's Chapel in Sewanee, Tennessee. Burial followed at the University of the South Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to: YMCA of Bourbon County 917 Main Street, Paris, KY 40361; The Bluegrass Chapter of the Boy Scouts, 2134 Nicholasville Rd, Suite 3, Lexington, KY 40503; or The University of the South at Sewanee, ATTN: University Relations, 735 University Ave., Sewanee, TN 37383. www.hintonturner.com