Obituary of Ann B. Stamm

Ann Benchoff Stamm, 91 Ann (McCord) Benchoff Stamm, 91, died peacefully on Thursday, March 26, 2020, at her home in Schenectady, New York, following a period of declining health. Mrs. Stamm was born in Woodstock, Virginia, on January 13, 1929, daughter of the late Guy Anderson and Katharine (Hottel) Benchoff. Early in life, she was a member of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Woodstock, attended Woodstock High School (Class of 1946), and the Massanutten Military Academy. Mrs. Stamm earned a bachelor of arts degree in fine arts in 1951 from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. At Hood, she was an active member of the Hood Glee Club which, fortunately, provided the chance to meet her soon-to-be husband (a Franklin and Marshall College student and aspiring doctor) Charles F. Stamm. After graduation, Mrs. Stamm worked as a purchasing agent for Hutzler’s department store in Baltimore, Maryland, in the early 1950s. Dr. and Mrs. Stamm were married on April 16, 1955, and were soon stationed with the Air Force Medical Corps at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, Alaska, during a tense period in the Cold War. Following the deployment, they moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, before settling in Schenectady, New York. Mrs. Stamm had been the president of the Friends of Schenectady County Public Library, a volunteer reader on the radio for WMHT’s RISE service that assists blind and print-disabled listeners, a member of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) and substitute organist at churches around the Capital Region, a docent for tours of Schenectady’s historic Stockade neighborhood, and a member of the Schenectady “Thursday Afternoon Garden Club.” She attended Friedens United Church of Christ, Union Presbyterian Church, and First United Methodist Church in earlier years; more recently, she was an active member of Schenectady’s St. George’s Episcopal Church. Mrs. Stamm was preceded in death by her sister, Elizabeth Benchoff Page; her brother, John Milton Benchoff; and her son-in-law, William Robert Nave. Surviving are her husband of 64 years, Charles F. Stamm, M.D.; four children: Katharine (Stephen) Schindler of Reston, Virginia, Martha (Stamm) Weiskotten of Schenectady, New York, Charles (Christina) Stamm of Brooklyn, New York, and Jared Stamm of West Hebron, New York; five grandchildren: Laura (Dylan Simms) Addams Weiskotten, Ann Compton Schindler, Katharine Gates Weiskotten, Charles Tse Stamm, and Caroline Quinn Stamm; and a sister, Barbara Benchoff Miles of Brooklyn, New York. Visitors are welcome to come to Jones Funeral Home on Union Street in Schenectady on Thursday and Friday, April 2 and 3, between 4 and 6 p.m. to privately view and pay their respects to Ann. Owing to concerns around the possible transmission of COVID-19, the funeral home will limit the number of visitors at any one time to 8. The family may not be present and understands fully if visitors are uncomfortable paying their respects at this time. The funeral service will be private and for immediate family only. A memorial service will be planned for a later date at St. George’s Episcopal Church. The family would like to express its gratitude to the staff of Home Instead for their skilled and loving care of our mom. Memorial contributions may be made to Community Hospice, 445 New Karner Road, Albany, NY 12205; or St. George’s Episcopal Church, 30 North Ferry Street, Schenectady, NY 12305. Arrangements are in the care of Jones Funeral Home, Schenectady, New York, and Dellinger Funeral Home, Woodstock, Virginia.