Official Obituary of
George Moreland Stamps
April 19, 2018
George Stamps Obituary
George Moreland Stamps, 1924-2018
"There were places and times when I was there when history was being made. There were wars and ships and far-off places and famous people. In the case of the fax machine, I made history myself."
Lieutenant Colonel George Moreland Stamps, USAF (Ret.) died April 19, 2018. Born in Kuling, China on June 15, 1924 to Southern Baptist missionary parents Drure Fletcher Stamps and Elizabeth Camilla Belk Stamps. Stamps spent most of his childhood in war-torn China, moving among the church compounds in the Yangtze River Valley and coastal northern China. In Hwanghsien, four-year old Stamps played between mattresses as a two-day battle raged around the family home. In his teens, Stamps attended the Shanghai American School and lived in Yangchow during the Japanese occupation. In December 1940, Stamps returned to the US and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond, Virginia before matriculating to Wake Forest University, where he played football and was active in Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. In October 1942, Stamps volunteered for service in the Army Air Corps and was ordered to active duty in February 1943. Stamps piloted an 8th Air Force Triangle J B-17 bomber in 20 combat missions over Nazi-occupied Europe. Because of near-miss shrapnel hits and his ability to maneuver out of downward spins, aircrew joked that Stamps lived a charmed life. Stamps married Helen Leone Paty, his wife of 67 years, in 1946. They met in the eighth grade at the Shanghai American School. After graduating from Wake Forest magna cum laude in 1947, Stamps earned a Masters in Physics from Columbia University in 1949. The Stamps' four children, Margaret Evalyn, Robert Fletcher, Thomas Paty, and John Belk were born in New York. While pursuing a doctorate and teaching physics and mathematics, Stamps accepted a position at Hogan Laboratories, Inc. in New York City, and worked there from 1951 to 1959. At Hogan Labs, Stamps led a team of engineers in the development and patenting of what would eventually become the modern fax machine. Stamps worked as Chief Engineer for Telautograph in Los Angeles, where the first modern telephone fax transmitted outside of a laboratory was initiated from Stamps' living room. Stamps served as Program Manager at Magnavox in ChampaignUrbana, Illinois during the development of the 1966 Magnafax Telecopier, the first widely available facsimile machine that transmitted over a regular dial telephone line. In 1973, Stamps left Magnavox and moved to Westport, Connecticut working as special Assistant to the President of Xerox. Stamps marketed the Xerox Telecopier until 1976, when he began a consulting business with U.S., European, and Japanese client companies. In 1986, the Stamps' moved to Oxford, Georgia, where Helen's parents, the late Dr. Robert Morris Paty and Katherine Behenna Paty lived for many years. Civically active throughout his life, in Oxford, Stamps served as President of the Kiwanis Club of Covington, Friends of the Library, and Newton County Historical Society, Chair of Newton County Facilities Board and Impact Fee Advisory Committee, and was involved in numerous other organizations. Stamps is survived by two sons, Colonel Robert Fletcher Stamps, USAF (Ret.) and wife Quanah of Arlington, VA and John Belk Stamps and wife Kathleen of Oxford, Georgia, 11 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, April 29th at 2:30pm at First Presbyterian Church Covington with Rev. Dr. William B. Wade, Jr. officiating and military honors interment following in Oxford Historical Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1pm in the church fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church Covington, 1169 Clark Street, Covington, GA 30014.
1169 Clark Street SW
Covington, GA, 30014
"There were places and times when I was there when history was being made. There were wars and ships and far-off places and famous people. In the case of the fax machine, I made history myself."
Lieutenant Colonel George Moreland Stamps, USAF (Ret.) died April 19, 2018. Born in Kuling, China on June 15, 1924 to Southern Baptist missionary parents Drure Fletcher Stamps and Elizabeth Camilla Belk Stamps. Stamps spent most of his childhood in war-torn China, moving among the church compounds in the Yangtze River Valley and coastal northern China. In Hwanghsien, four-year old Stamps played between mattresses as a two-day battle raged around the family home. In his teens, Stamps attended the Shanghai American School and lived in Yangchow during the Japanese occupation. In December 1940, Stamps returned to the US and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond, Virginia before matriculating to Wake Forest University, where he played football and was active in Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. In October 1942, Stamps volunteered for service in the Army Air Corps and was ordered to active duty in February 1943. Stamps piloted an 8th Air Force Triangle J B-17 bomber in 20 combat missions over Nazi-occupied Europe. Because of near-miss shrapnel hits and his ability to maneuver out of downward spins, aircrew joked that Stamps lived a charmed life. Stamps married Helen Leone Paty, his wife of 67 years, in 1946. They met in the eighth grade at the Shanghai American School. After graduating from Wake Forest magna cum laude in 1947, Stamps earned a Masters in Physics from Columbia University in 1949. The Stamps' four children, Margaret Evalyn, Robert Fletcher, Thomas Paty, and John Belk were born in New York. While pursuing a doctorate and teaching physics and mathematics, Stamps accepted a position at Hogan Laboratories, Inc. in New York City, and worked there from 1951 to 1959. At Hogan Labs, Stamps led a team of engineers in the development and patenting of what would eventually become the modern fax machine. Stamps worked as Chief Engineer for Telautograph in Los Angeles, where the first modern telephone fax transmitted outside of a laboratory was initiated from Stamps' living room. Stamps served as Program Manager at Magnavox in ChampaignUrbana, Illinois during the development of the 1966 Magnafax Telecopier, the first widely available facsimile machine that transmitted over a regular dial telephone line. In 1973, Stamps left Magnavox and moved to Westport, Connecticut working as special Assistant to the President of Xerox. Stamps marketed the Xerox Telecopier until 1976, when he began a consulting business with U.S., European, and Japanese client companies. In 1986, the Stamps' moved to Oxford, Georgia, where Helen's parents, the late Dr. Robert Morris Paty and Katherine Behenna Paty lived for many years. Civically active throughout his life, in Oxford, Stamps served as President of the Kiwanis Club of Covington, Friends of the Library, and Newton County Historical Society, Chair of Newton County Facilities Board and Impact Fee Advisory Committee, and was involved in numerous other organizations. Stamps is survived by two sons, Colonel Robert Fletcher Stamps, USAF (Ret.) and wife Quanah of Arlington, VA and John Belk Stamps and wife Kathleen of Oxford, Georgia, 11 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, April 29th at 2:30pm at First Presbyterian Church Covington with Rev. Dr. William B. Wade, Jr. officiating and military honors interment following in Oxford Historical Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1pm in the church fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church Covington, 1169 Clark Street, Covington, GA 30014.
Memorial Service
APR 29. 2:30 PM (EDT)
First Presbyterian Church (Covington)1169 Clark Street SW
Covington, GA, 30014
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