Wanda Lynn Staton Stamos

Wanda Lynn Staton Stamos, born Jan. 28, 1925, in Carrolton, Missouri, quietly passed away on April 25, 2014. She will be missed as an icon of Sonoma, a founding “mother” of Vintage House senior center, along with the famed Jerry Casson. Vintage House opened officially in 1989 after a major fundraising drive and the tenacious efforts of Wanda Stamos and the board.

Wanda Stamos came from a hard-working, rural background and had many stories from the Depression and Dust Bowl. She lived with her grandparents (her mother was financially unable to care for her) and loved to go on her grandfather’s mail route. She left at a young age for San Francisco, where she reunited with her mother and worked at Bank of America for a number of years.

While employed as a bright young professional, she met her husband, James Stamos, who worked for HUD (Housing and Urban Development).

She and Jim had many wonderful years together, living in San Francisco, Burlingame, Washington, DC, Honolulu, and then retiring to Sonoma. She and Jim were active in the community, not only at Vintage House senior center but also in the Sonoma Valley Democratic Club. Wanda was also president of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees for many years. Other interests included the Smithsonian Museum and The Lighthouse for the Blind.

There will be a gathering of Wanda’s friends at Vintage House at 3 p.m., on Thursday, July 17, 2014.