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Stamps family photo
Harry Stamps rests at a campsite at Indian Creek, a campground in North Carolina, in the 1970s.
A Mississippi man who only sported T-shirts designed by "fashion house Fruit of the Loom" and had a penchant for buttermilk served in martini glasses is bringing thousands of people joy in his afterlife, thanks to an obituary written by his daughter.
Eighty-year-old Harry Weathersby Stamps of Long Beach, Miss., died on Saturday, but his quirky qualities — being a member of a bacon-of-the-month club, outsmarting squirrels — were just starting to take on a life of their own when his daughter, Amanda Stamps Lewis, published his obituary in Mississippi's SunHerald.com.
Harry Stamps "particularly hated Day Light Saving Time, which he referred to as The Devil's Time. It is not lost on his family that he died the very day that he would have had to spring his clock forward. This can only be viewed as his final protest," the obituary read. He also detested "eating grape leaves, 'Law and Order' (all franchises), cats, and Martha Stewart. In reverse order."
But he had many loves, too. He loved women, particularly smart women, including his "main squeeze," wife Ann, to whom he was married for 48 years. And no one has been more shocked by the thousands of pageviews, Facebook shares, and tweets that her husband's obituary has generated than Stamps' main squeeze.
'State of stupor'
"I am still in a state of stupor over all this attention!" said Ann Stamps, 73, who speaks with a southern accent and ends most sentences with "my dear." "In a few days, all of this is going to be over, and I think I'm going to really, really hit bottom."
Ann and Harry Stamps met when they were both teachers at Pascagoula High School in Mississippi. They shared a love for life on the Mississippi coast; they raised two daughters in Long Beach, Miss., and Harry spent most of his career teaching government and sociology at Gulf Coast Community College.
Harry underwent bypass surgery in 2004 and the couple lost their home to Hurricane Katrina in the 2005 storm. They had to rebuild, which was a turning point in Harry's health, Ann said.
Stamps family photo
Harry Stamps and his wife, Ann, lost their home in Long Beach, Miss., to Hurricane Katrina. In this photo outside their damaged home, Harry wears his signature Fruit of the Loom T-shirt and grass-stained Mississippi State University baseball cap.
"Harry had been sick for quite some time. A week or so ago, I sat down and wrote down some facts and I emailed it to both of the girls, and I said, I think I can do this better now than I can later," Ann said. "And I immediately got an email back from [my daughter] Amanda and she said, 'I will take care of the obituary.'"
In the last three years, he needed kidney dialysis. Still, Ann said she wasn't prepared by the obituary her daughter Amanda, who is not a professional writer but an attorney.
"That morning that Harry died, she got up and got on the computer and then she came to me said, 'Mama, please let me do this, it's real important.' And she said, 'I know it's not your style, I know it's not what you would have written, but it's important to me.' Well, I started reading it and I thought, there is no way in the world."
But as she continued to read the obituary Amanda crafted, infused with details about Harry's "life-long love affair with deviled eggs" and "sausages on saltines," his adoration for using his "oversized 'old man' remote control" to "flip between watching The Barefoot Contessa and anything on The History Channel," his insistence on taking "fashion cues from no one" and the demand that in his honor, "you write your Congressman and ask for the repeal of Day Light Saving Time," Ann had a change of heart.
Courtesy Amanda Lewis
Harry Stamps' daughter, Amanda Lewis, said none of her friends believed her when she'd describe her Daddy's huge "old man remote control." She decided to take a photo of it next to her baby girl, Harper, "for scale." "The remote was one of his prized possessions that survived Katrina," Lewis said. "He was very worried that they no longer made those."
Fear of a themed funeral
"Allison, our other daughter, said, 'The thing about it is every word is true.' And Amanda told me, 'Now Mama, when you're gone, we won't have this kind of material. You're boring!'" Ann said, laughing. "He was one of the most unpretentious people that could ever be. And he was a smart, smart man. And he had wit, and he was quick. And as he got sicker and sicker, we lost that, and that was one of the saddest things."
The family is living up to a promise it made in the obituary — "Because of his irrational fear that his family would throw him a golf-themed funeral despite his hatred for the sport, his family will hold a private, family only service free of any type of 'theme'" — and celebrated his life this afternoon in a small ceremony under a sunny Mississippi blue sky.
"There's a beautiful bridge that crosses the Bay of St. Louis. And that's where we're taking his ashes," Ann said before the family went to commemorate Harry. "It is gorgeous."
However, the family did hold open visiting hours for Stamps.
"We had students from '58 and '59 that he taught in high school that came to that visitation and talked about how he influenced them," Ann said. "That's what would have pleased him most. He would not have understood all this other" tweeting and Facebooking of his obituary.
TODAY.com writer and editor Laura T. Coffey contributed to this report.
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Before the MS-bashers get on here -
RIP, Mr. Stamps. Sounds like you lived your life well and left your children with more than just fond memories.
A real CELEBRATION of life...I appreciate the wisdom of of recalling Mr. Stamp's genius and quirks.
Sounds like Mr Stamps live his Bucket List throughout life! To top that, he did it with the love of his life, his wife Ann. I know all will miss him. However, Rest In Peace Harry - You Did it Your Way!
I appreciate your comment as I know sooner or later they will arrive. RIP Mr. Stamps. He sounded like a very unique and interesting person.
Agree with mpa. What a wonderful tribute by his daughter. The tribute is evidence in itself of what a good father he must have been and what a good relationship he must have had with her. Kudos to you Mr. Stamps and RIP.
I wouldn't bash it,nice state evan if I don't live there.i think I remember seeing that 1 pic after Katrina days just after.yes,would have liked him too.camping in 70s,and a lot of other stuff really rings.i was a kid but started in 74 with fla or bust from pa then w/parents.out to texas back north ect.you cant explain it to people what a a real education is today,but never having college myself,i got half of it,Harry got it all.condolences to his family,an fmr rver.
my kind of guy...
Just a 'good ole boy' who hated golf and cats. If cats could speak, they'd say they weren't fond of him either. As for golf, the game requires dedication and a certain degree of fitness. He doesn't seem the type.
I'm w/ Harry, why are people so preoccupied w fashion. People should live passionate lives and it sounded like he did. I hope his widow is comforted by family and friends.
It just goes to show, being an ordinary person is not such a bad thing. Being ordinary can be pretty extraordinary.
Ennea- Are you a piss on a dead man's grave kinda troll or what? Did you know the deceased, or just get off on denigrating dead strangers?
Here's your attention, no go away.
RIP Mr. Stamps, sounds like you had a good time.
Great story, a good man, and good daughters. They served Harry well. I hope his wife finds peace once the story dies and phone stops ringing.
As a side note.... the greatest day of year is, hands down, the Saturday night we Spring ahead. I'll trade a 6:00 a.m sunrise for a 9:00 pm sunset EVERY TIME. I'm very envious of folks who live on the west edge of a time zone (I'm talking to you Louahvul, KY) and get those 9:45 pm sunsets in June. Who cares that it's pitch black at 8:30 a.m. in October!
keep_it_cool: Just an observation, not a criticism. If you forgot, everyone's entitled to their opinion in this forum. End of discussion.
Just found the article, even though published a week ago. Read the full obit.
You can tell his daughter truly loved him and he enjoyed life, loved his children, and was still in love with his wife.
God bless him and the family.
i hope mine is as good when my time comes,and i agree 100% on the daylights saving time.
i like it but in Thailand the sun comes up at 6 and goes down at 6 so it's not needed
Nice tribute from his loving family.
That is awesome, I hope I have an obituary half as clever as that when I die....at least 50 years from now...
It's great to see the masterpiece which a loving daughter has created to honor her beloved father. One can appreciate other folks desire to see something similar when they die, as recognition for a life well lived.loved ones appreciating sacrifices made. Most notices are actually written/assisted by funeral homes to help grieving families get through their difficult times. Limited funds often prevent more personalized obituaries. Now more folks actually write their own ahead of time. Also they are doing their wills, no matter how young.
In seeking a life worthy of a great obituary, let's remember to improve our character part of which is helping others, there are only two things in life we must do. Die and make choices, and even refusing to make a choice, is a choice. Literally all else is optional, though in making some choices, the consequences are painful absolutely for sure.The point is, we have tremendous freedom to act/change our course in mortal life, to be a force for good, or evil.Even make plans for after we die, what should be done for material,mortal matters for help the living. For this too will have an affect on how others see us in the legacy we leave.For those who care about such things.As the saying goes,"If you want to be what you've never been, you have to do what you've never done."
Better to hold each moment precious, treasure your loved ones and know, I AM living life fully, therefore, Death if it should come at any time, will find me kicking and screaming fighting against it Must drag me with it into my grave. Meanwhile, each day towards all others, be tolerant, forgiving, patient, listen, non-judgmental, noble, empathetic, and supportive with respectful. Dare to be what others can't and earn that obituary you admire
awesome, I hope someone does this for me, as I kind of am my own style as well, although my funeral pyre should have C4 in it somewhere
Fantastic
He did it like my dad - he went HIS way! Rest in Peace, Mr. Stamps!
The world is full of good, decent folks like this but sadly, they have to die before it's NEWS! RIP Mr. Stamps
My condolences to Mrs. Stamps and her family. Mr. Stamps' obituary was a beautiful and touching tribute--full of love and humanity. May he rest in peace.
I only hope to live a life half as full as his.
I wish I had had the presence of mind to do something like that for my father's obit. It was horribly boring, which was the exact opposite of my daddy. I'm glad Mr Stamps daughter was able to do such a cool thing for her dad - and all those who loved him!
Quirky rocks.
Sounds like he was an original.
RIP
they're a lots of guys out there like Mr. Stamps,, may they continue to add to this world's being,,,,
a person i would have liked to have known.....RIP
Sounds like a Simple man that sounds like he lived one hell of a rich life on his terms.
Sounds like he was an interesting person, with an obviously smart and insightful daughter.
I didn't know Mr. Stamps, but after reading his obituary, I feel like I know him now.
Sincere condolences to his family for the loss of a wonderful husband, father and grandfather.
I would love to see more stories like this of ordinary people, like Mr. Stamps in a section called "Person of the Day," or "Character of the Day," or maybe "Front Porch." I'm so tired of just hearing from entertainers, politicians, criminals, corporations.... he or she is the best/the most talented/the blah, blah, blah....I want interesting! I want to hear from someone that has something unique to say, that hasn't sold out and doesn't have a vested interest in what people think. Older folks are great for that. NBC, bring us more of these stories! RIP to Mr. Stamps and congratulations for living life on your terms.
i totally agree toreypines. This story is so much better than anything like Sarah Palin writing a Xmas book or Michelle Obama's bangs (just to be politically fair and balanced).
USA Today newspaper used to have an obit page that had an obit of one interesting average person from each state. I don't think they do it anymore.
I love these creative home-spun obits. Such a loving tribute. RIP Mr. Stamps.
I love obits like this. The Brits do it particularly well (read through a few in the British Medical Journal sometime.) My favorites begin along the lines of "Fred Smith, 97, died unexpectedly...." At 97? LOL. I've already started writing mine, in multiple choice format for my kids to use. Certain things MUST be in it, including the next sibling in birth order being referred to as the ELDEST SURVIVING sister as she has always introduced me as her OLDER sister - true but, really, unnecessary.
Seriously, Mr. Stamps clearly lived the life he wanted as far as it is possible. I hope they played Sinatra singing "My Way" at the service. Condolences to the family but boy, you must have great memories to look back on.
Agreed Torrey. And besides, I bet regular people would do it for the fun, while your other examples would require a fee.
Sounds like a truly great guy and family man. Well done, simply well done.
I wrote to find out about donations. All donations will go through the Alumni Foundation to the address below. Please state on the bottom of the check that it is to go to the Jefferson Davis Campus Library in memory of Harry Stamps. (JD Library, H. Stamps) Address: MGCCC Foundation, Mr. Russell Young, P. O. Box 99, Perkinston, MS 39573
I just like to say Mr. Stamps stamped his own will on life. He is an example of how we should live our lives.
You just have to love it don't you? We should all be so lucky as Harry and he was fortunate in so very many ways.
A great life and a fitting tribute......I myself moved to Arizona to avoid the daylight savings. I especially love the remote...today we have computers smaller than that, but i'm sure like my grandpa he would say, "I only need it to change the channel...that's all I'm asking it to do."
What a great orbituary. Even thou it is a sad occassion for the Stamp family, they managed to pay tribute to their husband and father respectively, in a loving, positive and dignifiying way. My condolences to them.
Dont worry about the MS bashers, they are very occupied and having a filled day with the Pope news!!
I would have loved to have met him. I think I could have given him a run for his money in the competitive sickness contest his obit said he never lost, but we'll never know now. Rest in Peace, Harry. I wanna be like you when I grow up.
Condolences to the Stamps family in the loss of Harry. Prayers and blessing to you all.