July 5, 1944 – May 7, 2026
Jonas Holden Stafford II, born in Decatur, Illinois, passed away peacefully at his home in Palo Alto, California on May 7, 2026, with his beloved wife by his side. He was 81 years old.
The younger son of Dr. Wilfred and Dr. Wilma Stafford, Jonas grew up in Chicago and attended Andover School for Boys before heading west to Stanford University in 1962, graduating in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in physical science. It was at Stanford that he met the love of his life, Barron Park native Christine Delia O’Connor. The two married in 1969 at St. Aloysius Church in Palo Alto and spent the next 56 wonderful years together.
A banker by trade, Jonas built a distinguished career at Crocker Bank and Mid- Peninsula Bank, retiring in 2008. He gave generously of his time to his community, serving as Board President of the CAR (now Ability Path) and volunteering with Kiwanis International. In retirement, he could most often be found on the golf course, at the lawn bowling green, or enjoying happy hour with friends and family.
Humble, intelligent, and quite humorous, Jonas had a rare gift for making everyone feel at home. He never met a stranger and greeted all with a warm smile and a well-timed, sarcastic remark, usually at the expense of one of his children. He loved his family and was generous to local schools and charities throughout his life.
Jonas is survived by his wife, Christine; his children, Kellie, Jeremy, and Scott (Karlie) Stafford; his grandchildren, Hannah and Tabitha; his brother, Benjamin; and many beloved in-laws, nieces, and nephews. In lieu of flowers, please donate locally to Ability Path (https://onecau.se/joestafford), Canopy (http://canopy.org/?form=JoeStafford) or St. Elizabeth Seton School (setonpaloalto.org).
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