Richard J. Stockham Jr. ’51

Dick was born Feb. 7, 1929, in Birmingham, Ala., the son of Richard and Charlotte Rushton Stockham.

He came to Princeton from Phillips Exeter and majored in mechanical engineering. He belonged to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Quadrangle, played 150-pound football, and roomed with Bob Mahaffy, Ray Maxwell, and Bill Swearer.

After graduation he served as a forward observer and liaison officer in the infantry for two years in the Korean Conflict and was awarded the Silver Star for bravery. Upon separation, he returned to Birmingham to enter the family business, Stockham Valves and Fittings Inc., founded by his grandfather, William H. Stockham, in 1903, where he served as vice president and corporate secretary. He was a member of Mountain Brook and The Redstone Club.

Dick died of a stroke Feb. 6, 2011. He is survived by his widow, Betty Aldridge Stockham; sons Richard Stockham III and Douglas Arant Stockham; daughter Adele Culp; seven grandchildren; a sister, Charlotte Murdock; and numerous cousins, including Allen Rushton ’51, James Rushton ’53, and William Rushton ’51. His brother, William Henry Stockham II, predeceased him.