Col. Milton "Pete" Stamatis Jr.

Milton Stamatis Jr. was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Milton was born on January 13, 1922 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. His parents were Milton and Chresanthe Stamatis. Milton was raised in Phoenix, Arizona. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

Growing up in the Stamatis household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Milton was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Milton was raised with three siblings. He had an older sister, Helen, and two brothers, Jim and Sam. Milton was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sisters. Milton and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Milton was always consistently loyal to his family.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Milton as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from Phoenix Union High School in 1939. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Milton was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Milton always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

College life brought with it a new set of challenges, but Milton handled them well. Being a critical thinker who always remained intellectually independent, Milton was able to focus on the task at hand in order to complete his class work. He seemed to thrive on college reading assignments, something that often bogged down his classmates. Milton was able to read the material and retain the information in a way that impressed his fellow classmates. The ability to efficiently complete the task at hand was a skill that served Milton well during his college experience. He earned his Bachelors in Business degree. He also pursued graduate school, earning his Masters in Finance.

On June 11, 1944 Milton exchanged wedding vows with Jacquetta May Strawbridge at the Hobbs Air Force Base of Hobbs, New Mexico. Compassionate and devoted to Jacquetta, Milton held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Jacquetta and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

Milton brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Milton was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Milton was blessed with one child, daughter, Janeen May Stamatis. They were also blessed with three grandchildren, Krisanne, Brian and Mia.

Milton greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Milton enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Milton was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was a Pilot for the United States Air Force. He was employed for 30 years with the United States Air Force. Milton worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Milton was an Air Force veteran. Milton saw action in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Colonel. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, Milton seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

Milton liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Milton always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were golf and he played the organ. Milton was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Milton found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. Recreational sports included golf. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were golf.

Many organizations were grateful to have Milton as a member, since he always brought with him a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, Milton was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that he was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. He always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. Throughout his later years, Milton was a member of the Daedalions, a military organization.

Milton was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was Greek Orthodox. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

Milton enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Milton appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Milton always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included Long Beach and any golf courses.

Milton was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Two of Milton’s favorites were Tito and Teena, Doberman Pincher dogs.

When Milton’s retirement finally arrived in 1972, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. His new life involved relocating to Scottsdale, Arizona to be closer to family. In retirement, he found new pleasure in playing golf and taking short two to three day trips with his spouse and staying at different bed and breakfasts. Even in retirement, Milton continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

Milton Stamatis Jr. passed away on May 26, 2010 at Hawthorn Court Long Term Care Facility in Phoenix, Arizona. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Jacquetta; his daughter, Janeen; his sister, Helen Glitsos; three grandchildren, Krisanne, Brian and Mia; and his two nephews, James Stamatis and John Glitsos. Services were held at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona. Milton was laid to rest in the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Milton Stamatis Jr. he was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

Col. Milton “Pete” Stamatis Jr., 88, passed away May 26, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was born January 13, 1922 in Phoenix to Milton and Chresanthe Stamatis. Ever since the age of 16 he loved to golf and during his golf career he scored 19 holes in 1 and became the President of the Wigwam Country Club. He served his country for 30 years in the U.S Air Force where he flew in WWII as a Bomber Pilot with his plane “Pilgrims Progress” and piloted many flights in Korea and Vietnam before retiring in 1972. He was preceded in death by his brothers James and Sam. He is survived by his wife of 68 years Jacquetta; daughter Janeen; sister Helen Glitsos, three grandchildren Krisanne, Brian and Mia; two nephews James Stamatis and John Glitsos and many extended family members. Military graveside services will be held Friday, June 4, 2010 at 10:00 am at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 N. Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, AZ 85024. Arrangements under the direction of Carr-Tenney Mortuary, Tempe, AZ.