Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 24, 1990 TAG: 9007240525
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: PETER MATHEWS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PEARISBURG LENGTH: Long
Stafford ranked second in seniority among Republican members of the House, winning re-election 10 times after he unseated powerful Democrat Garnett Moore of Pulaski County in 1971.
Stafford was slated to receive the state Republican Party's John N. Dalton distinguished service award this weekend in Williamsburg.
"He was a fine legislator and lawyer and a true Virginian in every sense," said former Gov. Mills Godwin, who was to present the award. "I am greatly saddened by his passing."
Godwin said Stafford came to talk to him before he decided to run for public office in the late 1960s. "He was the kind of young man we needed in government - dedicated and anxious to make a difference," Godwin said. "His death brings sadness to all Virginians."
Gov. Douglas Wilder, who will call a special election to fill Stafford's seat, said Stafford "was always a source of pleasant spontaneity and always well-met. I extend my condolences to his wife and to his children, and I hope that they find comfort in their fond memories of him as well as in knowing of the service he rendered his state."
Stafford was born into a Democratic family and began his political activity in that party. He went to the 1968 Democratic National Convention as an alternate delegate.
"I remember sitting there in the gallery realizing that these people just don't think like I think," he told a reporter in 1984. "I said to myself, if these people knew how I felt about things, they would throw me out of here."
Vowing never to support another liberal for public office, Stafford quit the Democratic Party in 1969. He joined the GOP in 1971.
And he campaigned against those he considered liberals to the end. Last month, Stafford told 9th Congressional District Republicans that if Rep. Rick Boucher were in Britain's liberal Labor Party, the Abingdon Democrat would still be in the far left wing.
"Jeff was a man of extraordinary conviction and principle," said Republican Party Executive Director Joe Elton. "He was a fierce competitor."
Richard Chidester, Giles County assistant commonwealth's attorney, said it had been difficult in recent weeks for those who worked closely with Stafford and relied on his sense of humor and opinionated lectures on current topics to brighten dull breaks in the courtroom.
"He was always somebody who was good for a joke," he said. "And he would always tell you what he thought, whether you liked it or not. He was always spouting off about something."
Giles County General District Judge Thomas Frith said Stafford was "an excellent attorney. And he'll be missed."
Stafford argued many cases before Frith in the crowded first-floor district courtroom. On days that criminal cases are heard there, things often manage to become hectic, "But he always handled himself professionally," Frith said.
"He was just a gentleman all the way," he said.
"When you think of things like dedication, integrity, selflessness, that's just Jeff Stafford," said Del. Steve Agee, R-Salem.
Chester Jefferson Stafford was born in 1939. His father was commonwealth's attorney for 16 years; his grandfather served in the House of Delegates.
Stafford was educated at the College of William and Mary and the University of Virginia, where he earned his law degree. He served in the Army in Korea as a company commander and later as a captain in the Army Reserve.
He worked for five years as a union member at the Celanese plant before entering politics.
No Republican had ever represented the Giles/Pulaski House district - the 5th - before Stafford's 1971 upset of Moore, an 18-year House veteran who was chairman of the Courts of Justice Committee.
Stafford represented Giles and a variety of neighboring counties in a district changed several times by redistricting - one that usually included substantial traditionally Democratic turf. At times he represented residents of Craig, Montgomery, Carroll, Bland and Tazewell counties and Radford; the district now includes Giles, Bland and part of Tazewell.
Despite the changes in the district, Stafford was an eminently successful politician. His only defeat came in 1984 when he attempted to wrest away Boucher's congressional seat. Stafford was unopposed in 1985 and 1989 House of Delegates races.
Stafford espoused a conservative, "hands-off" form of government. He introduced few pieces of legislation, explaining that keeping bad bills from becoming law was often more important than sponsoring your own measures.
His conservative philosophy resulted in high marks from the Virginia Taxpayers' Association and low scores from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
One important Stafford accomplishment was a bill that enabled Radford and Pulaski County to avoid a costly annexation fight in the late 1970s.
Stafford failed in an attempt to prohibit students who had not registered with the Selective Service from attending Virginia colleges. His bill made it out of the House in 1984 but died in the Senate.
He opposed the Equal Rights Amendment but supported a school-prayer amendment. But not every vote was a conservative one: Stafford supported an increase in the gasoline tax in 1980 that was designed to boost money for roads. And although he backed most anti-abortion legislation, he supported Medicaid funding of abortions for the poor in cases of rape and incest.
Stafford was widely known as a tournament bridge player. He belonged to numerous fraternal organizations and had served as president of the Giles County United Fund, chairman of the county's fund drive for the American Cancer Society and commander of American Legion Post 68. He also was on the board of directors at Boys' State.
Stafford's illness was no secret in Richmond during the last General Assembly session, but reporters respected his wishes that it not be publicized.
Survivors include his wife, the former Barbara Jo Morris; two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary; a stepson, Chris; and a sister, Betsy Elliott of Springfield.
The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the First United Methodist Church in Pearisburg with burial in the Birchlawn Burial Park.
There will be a luncheon at the church following the services for out-of-town guests. The family is requesting that donations go to the American Cancer Society.
Staff writers Robert Eure and Neal Thompson provided information for this story.
by CNB