Henry C. Stackpole III ’57

Hank died May 29, 2020, in Honolulu following a long decline from the effects of dementia. “One of the icons of the Class of 1957” is how a classmate remembers him. 

As a teenager, Hank helped his electrician father. At Princeton he was headwaiter at Commons, president of the Aquinas Society, and a member of Cap and Gown. Between graduation and his commissioning in the Marine Corps, he was a model. In an ad for Budweiser beer, he smiled down at thousands of New York City subway riders. 

In 1967 in Vietnam, then a captain, Hank nearly died twice in surgery from wounds he had suffered. He was in pain thereafter every day of his life, said his widow, Vivien. Hank rose steadily to lieutenant general, one step from commandant. The career event in which Hank took most pride was commanding an international rescue in the country of Bangladesh, which had suffered massive flooding. He was critical of policymakers’ “misuse” (his word) of the military in instigating warfare, especially with inadequate planning for peace. 

Hank’s leadership style included a rare modesty probably based on a deep religious confidence. He earned two master’s degrees, considering teaching an aspect of good command. 

After retiring in 1994, Hank worked for Loral, a satellite-communications company, and served the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, the Boy Scouts, and the American Red Cross.  

Hank is survived by Vivien, two daughters, one son, and four grandchildren.