Stanford Fichtman, 95, graduated from life on November 1, 2019 in Laguna Hills, California. A native of New York City, he was born on November 23 1923. Soon after graduating from high school, he joined the military in 1942 during the height of World War 2. He served his country with distinction in the Pacific Theater of Operations as a high-speed manual radio operator, being part of the New Guinea, Leyte, and Luzon campaigns. After the war, he was part of the General Douglas Macarthur's Occupation Forces in Tokyo, honorably discharged at the beginning of 1946.
With a G.I. Bill, Stanford then went back to school, earning his Aircraft and Power plant license at the Academy of Aviation in New York. This would introduce him to the growing commercial aviation industry in which he would spend the next 52 years. His first job out of Academy was with Northwest Airlines. At the time, he married Rose Sird and became a first-time father to his beloved daughter, Rose E. in 1947.

In 1966 he got his dream assignment to work in Hawaii, as the Honolulu Maintenance Service Manager for Northwest Airlines. In 1968, he married Joanne Helena Mehrkampher of Michigan and gained a son, Bruce Elliot.Stanford Joseph would be born in 1974 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Also in 1968, after 20 years with Northwest Airlines, Stanford was hired as Director of Maintenance of Hawaii inter-island airline Aloha Airlines. This would start a 17-year relationship with the airline, rising to the ranks of Vice President of Maintenance. Known as being firm, but fair with his management, he would serve Aloha, with distinction, until his retirement in 1984.

Never being one to quietly retire, Stanford would go onto work in the commercial aviation industry, using his skills learned through Northwest and Aloha to help airlines in Hawaii, Aruba and Seattle Washington. The highlight of this part of his career was working in the Peoples Republic of China for 7 years, from 1990-1997, at both the Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Co. and China Southern Airlines of Canton, China.
In 2000, after a long career in aviation, Stanford finally retired and took up travelling. From cruises to class reunions, Stanford and Joanne enjoyed their golden years while also enjoying the time with their grandchildren. In 2010, Joanne graduated from life. In 2014, after living in Hawaii, a place he and Joanne loved for 48 years, Stanford left and split his time living with his son Bruce in Oregon and daughter Rose in California.

His three children, daughter Rose and son's Bruce and Stanford J. survive Stanford Fichtman. Six grandchildren, RoseEllen, Robert Stanford, Sarah Elizabeth, David Bruce, Jordan Elliot and Rachel Haiyi. He is blessed with three Great-Grandchildren, Tessa Rose Fichtman, Maxwell Robert Shea and Ryan Robert Jeffers. His brothers, Louis and Harold, precede him in death.

Stanford will be interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. Date pending.