Lewis County Honors Gary Stamper One Year After His Death

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Thursday marked a year since the death of Lewis County District 3 Commissioner Gary Stamper.

A longtime public educator and basketball coach, he was elected in 2014. He passed away due to complications from COVID-19 at the age of 67. A beloved character in the courthouse, Stamper was known for his emotional intelligence and ability to build bridges, said Lewis County Manager Erik Martin.

On Thursday, county staff gathered around Stamper’s grave in Mossyrock before having a lunch in his honor at Nachos where they shared fond memories.

He has been honored in several ways in the last year, Martin said, including with a shadowbox in the courthouse presenting a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in Stamper’s honor. Two flags were flown, one was sent to the commissioner’s family.

One exemplary story of Stamper’s care for his constituents, Martin said, was told by Steve Wohld, the county’s chief of internal services. As he told it, staff briefed the commissioner on the county’s role in a matter that was upsetting a constituent before he was set to meet with the person, with staff saying there was nothing that could be done about the situation.



“And as Gary was listening, he changed course and staff was like, ‘You’re not backing us up, man.’ And Steve goes, ‘I thought we had a plan,’” Martin said.

As he told it, Stamper said the plan still stood, but the constituent really needed someone to listen to them and wasn’t ready to hear someone say “no” at the time.

“One of the things that I learned from Gary is the importance of building relationships,” Martin said. “You can be good at your work technically … but if you’re not building relationships you’re gonna have a hard time getting things done. That’s where you’re going to make progress on the things the county is trying to accomplish. Don’t forgo relationships for short-term gain.”

The Lewis County Economic Alliance has a scholarship fund in honor of Stamper to be annually awarded to a student from Mossyrock or White Pass High School. To donate to the fund, call 360-748-0114 or mail checks payable to the Economic Alliance of Lewis County to P.O. Box 916, Chehalis, WA, 98532.