Homer 'Stubby' Arthur Stafford

GLADSTONE, Wis. - Homer "Stubby" Arthur Stafford passed away on Sept. 22, 2026, at his home in Gladstone, Michigan, after a long battle with COPD. Stubby was born on Feb. 21, 1950, in Jamestown, New York, the son of Arthur and Margaret (Entrot) Stafford.

He is survived by his wife, Elsie Mahoney Stafford; his children, Kelley (Erik) Joerns and Joel (Lindsay) Stafford; and his grandchildren, Jack Joerns, Hana Joerns, Collin Stafford and Cooper Stafford.

Stubby was raised in Jamestown, New York, and graduated from Johnson City High School. His first job was working at the barber shop next to his family home; he cleaned the shop at the end of the day. As a teen, he worked summers at his family farm in Pennsylvania and then found a love of cooking, which brought him to work with the Ciancio family at The Ironstone Restaurant for many years. After his children were born, he decided to transition to insurance sales so that he could be home in the evenings. Stubby was a natural-born salesman who never met a stranger.

His passion was in woodworking and home projects. He would often look at a wall and decide that "it needed to come down." The family home was a gut rehab farmhouse that he completed primarily on his own with the help of his cousin and best friend, Russ Jamieson. His family all have projects that he built, from cabinets to cradles and many more, and his passion has passed down to his son and grandchildren.

Stubby would not want a lot of words to sum up his life - only for us to remember him for his great sense of humor, love of family and tremendous and unconditional love for his wife of 54 years, who cared for him with grace, compassion and, at times, a lot of patience.

The family will host a Celebration of Life on a warm and sunny day next summer. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the rescue mission of his niece, Megan Mahoney: Celebration of Canine Lives Sanctuary, celebrationofcaninelives.com. The Skradski Family Funeral Homes of Delta County is assisting the Stafford family.