Wells Stabler Obituary

STABLER, WELLS On Friday November 13, 2009, Wells Stabler of Washington DC, a retired U.S. Ambassador, passed away at the age of 90. Beloved husband of 56 years of Emily Stabler. Loving father of Elizabeth Wells Stabler, Susan S. Paneyko (Stephen), Edward M. Stabler (Anne) and Eric A. Stabler (Tracy). He is also survived by twelve grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, November 19 at 3 p.m. at St. David''s Episcopal Church 5150 Macomb St., Washington, DC 20016. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made to The Order of St. John, 1875 K St. NW Washington DC 20006 or St. David''s Episcopal Church. Inquiries may be directed to Rapp Funeral & Cremation Services.

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Published by The Washington Post from Nov. 16 to Nov. 17, 2009.

Memories and Condolences
for Wells Stabler

6 Entries

Marie W Parmly

November 21, 2009

Dear Emily, I send many prayers and love to you. I remember our brief tmes together. Michael will miss Wells, he was like a father/consultant to him. You are due a visit to Geneva. Blessings to you, Marie W Parmly

Michael, Lisa, Brittany and Christopher Fox

November 19, 2009

The Fox Family would like to send its deepest sympathy and prayers to the entire family at this most difficult time. May the wonderful memories you shared quickly replace the sorrow you are feeling today. All our love to you all.

Frank Ortiz

November 17, 2009

The Ortiz family will always hold Wells Stabler very close to their hearts. We extend our thoughts and our prayers to the entire Stabler family.

Ruby Pope

November 17, 2009

The Peevy family of Georgia wish to express our condolences in the passing of "Uncle Wells". It was such a pleasure to meet you when you came to Melinda and Christopher's wedding. We know that your family has had a great influence in Christopher's life and he has certainly made a wonderful addition to our family.

Alexandra Stabler

November 17, 2009

I will miss Uncle Wells. While we saw little of each other, his absence will be sorely felt. He was the last of his generation in our Stabler family and with his passing will pass more than just an era.

Wells was pre-deceased in 1982 by my father, Warwick Brooke Stabler, his only sibling and his senior by two years. Wells and Warwick shared many of their youthful experiences. They lived in several places in South America (Chile, Equador and Venezuela). Later, they would travel together by ship to and from the U.S. and South America, appropriately accompanied, to attend Fay and Brooks Schools and Harvard when it was found that their combined exuberance was more than any tutor could manage.

Few knew the contributions Wells Stabler made to U.S. Diplomacy as he was so terribly modest. Few knew that his roommate at Harvard was Henry Kissinger - something he never made use of professionally or socially.

Wells Stabler first served in the State Department as a civil servant. When he later joined the Foreign Service, he chose European postings and served in Rome, Paris and the State Department. For a period in the early 1970s, he was a Deputy assistant Secretary of State. After that, he was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Spain (1975-1978). While Ambassador and just prior to the death of Spain's Franco, Wells met with Henry Kissinger and the Spanish Foreign Minister at the residence of the U.S. Ambassador to France in Paris to pave the way for the accession of Rey Juan Carlos, the current monarch of Spain. This, among other actions taken in Spain by Juan Carlos after his accession, helped to ensure that there would be no flare up of the Spain Civil War.

Wells was well remembered in Jordan. While posted to the U.S. mission in Israel in the late 40s, he was able to render a service to the father of the current King of Jordan. Memories are long in these instances. When Wells and Emily took a trip to Jordan after his retirement, sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s, they woke up the morning after their arrival to find a private driver awaiting their beck and call. They were even flown to Petra by private aircraft.

On his father's side, Wells Stabler had many distinguished relatives. Wells' father, Jordan Herbert Stabler, was also a well-respected Diplomat. Posted to several European and South American U.S. Embassies, he was on the U.S. team at the Peace Conference in France after WWI. He was the chief of the Latin American Office for a number of years. Later, he worked closely with Dean Acheson on a number of issues, among which was the U.S. brokered resolution of the War of the Pacific. J.H.Stabler, a published translator from both Spanish and French to English, and whose work is available today, was also an accomplished photographer. Today he has about 70 photographs in the archives of the Royal Geographical Society in London. J.H.Stabler was also an explorer and is credited with establishing some of the headwaters of the Amazon. J.H.Stabler sold the 'family farm', Harewood, to the Achesons. It can be seen in David Acheson's book, "Acheson Country."

Wells' grandfather was Jordan Stabler, of the Stabler grocery company of Baltimore, Maryland. Purveyor of groceries to most of the major institutions in and around Baltimore, he is remembered in a bio available on the internet written for the 200th anniversary of the City of Baltimore. There may be just a few people alive today who remember Stabler Mayonnaise.

Well's great grandfather, a resident and long-time postmaster of Sandy Spring, Maryland, was the Edward Stabler who is responsible for the rendition of several major U.S. seals. His redesign of the Seal of the Treasury department graced bills of every denomination for over one hundred years.

The Stabler-Leadbetter pharmacy of Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia was opened by a three-times great uncle of Wells's.

Other well-known relatives of Wells's on the Stabler side of his family include John Twiss, recently deceased (July 2009), first and former head of the Marine Mammal Commission.

On his mother's side, Wells is related to the person sent over by the Dutch to manage the track of land in Pennsylvania given to the Dutch as a thank you for their assistance during the revolutionary war. Wells's grandmother, a miss Huidekoper (spelling varies), was the last in that direct line.

I cannot speak for my sisters Elizabeth and Angela, but I will miss Uncle Wells. God speed to you.

(For those who wish to read more about Wells Stabler's service in the State Department, his oral history can be found on either the ADST.org or Library of Congress web sites.)

Stephen Sears

November 16, 2009

Starr and I are so sorry to hear this news. We always got such a kick seeing Wells and Emily together as they made the most dapper and attractive couple one can imagine. Wells had a wonderful, wry wit and he will be sorely missed. Our hearts and prayers go to the entire Stabler family.

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