Otto George Stamman

Beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, Otto passed away peacefully into eternal life at the age of 88 on April 26, 2008. His passing was two days short of the birthday of Gladys, his wife of 66 years, who preceded him in death on May 24, 2007. Otto was born July 20, 1919, in Airville, Bell County, to Wallie and Annie (Harms) Stamman, and lived his entire life in the County. He was a master electrician who owned Stamman Electric Company. He also worked as maintenance supervisor at E.R. Carpenter Company. He was well known around town as the guy who put up the City's Christmas lights for many years. Otto was an accomplished pilot and flight instructor and served as squadron commander of the Temple Civil Air Patrol. He was never happier than when flying or sharing his love of it with his students. He was awarded the Carnegie Bronze Medal for heroism for pulling James and Paul Guthrie (then aged 7 and 4) from their burning home in 1958. Otto served in the 348th Army Engineer Combat Battalion in World War II, landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day and participating in the Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe Campaigns. His military awards included the American Defense Service Medal, the EAME Campaign Medal with 5 Bronze Stars and 1 Bronze Arrowhead, and the French Croix de Guerre. Otto and Gladys were married in October 1941 in Pendleton, Texas. They lived at Camp Brown in Brownsville before he left for England. At Camp Brown, he served as an MP and was fondly known as "Blondie." Otto and Gladys enjoyed gardening and various arts and crafts, including, in Otto's case, macramé, wood and gourd work. Otto and Gladys had been life-long members of the Temple Churches of Christ, most recently with the Western Hills congregation. Otto is loved and already greatly missed by his children, David Stamman and wife Ann Smisko of Austin, and Elaine Stamman and husband Douglas Segar of El Cerrito, California, and by his surviving sister, Elsie Holtman, of Temple. He was extremely proud of his two granddaughters, Marian and Julia Stamman, living in Austin. Otto's family and many friends over the years will miss his humor, hard work, faith, and willingness to always help others. Otto was a humble man, and in respect of Otto's explicit wishes, a memorial service is not planned. The family, who can be reached through Scanio-Harper Funeral Home, will appreciate your remembering Otto with a smile and your prayers for Otto and Gladys' reunion in eternal peace.