Obituary of Allan "Skip" Stafford

“The original voice of the Sussex Sonics has officially left the air waves.”

Allan (Skip) Stafford passed away at the Saint John Regional Hospital on February 26, 2026. Born in Marysville, NB on June 4, 1945, he was the only child of Olive (Dunphy) and Murray Stafford.

Skip will live on in the hearts of his wife MaryLea (Earle) Stafford; his son Alan Michael and grandson Chase Alan, both of Cambridge, Ontario; his daughter-in-law Marisa and granddaughters Macy and Marlowe, all of London, Ontario; loving in-laws Beth (Mike) Fontaine and Arnie (Jeanne) Earle. He was predeceased by his parents and by his son Brent.

Skip grew up in Marysville and attended UNB where he received a BA and BED. Skip taught for 32 years ending his career as an Economics teacher and Vice-Principal of Sussex Regional High School. He was the Sports Editor of the Kings County Record for many years.

Always community-minded, Skip served on the NB Chapter of the Kidney Foundation of Canada. He served as President of the Sussex Golf and Curling Club. Skip took an active role in the Dairytown Classic and was honoured to act as an Honorary Chair. He was part of the original Steering and Planning Committees to build the Nutrien Civic Centre in Sussex.

A love of sports, particularly baseball, flowed through Skip's veins. Skip watched ball, he played ball and he coached ball. A highlight of Skip's ball career was his induction into the Hall of Fame at the Nutrien Civic Center as a member of the Sussex Golden Arrows. Forever loyal to his favourite teams, Skip cheered on the Blue Jays, the Maple Leafs and the Patriots.

Skip took great pleasure from many things in life. His friends were treated to the best Canada Day Quiz celebrations, Christmas Egg Nog parties and exciting evenings at The Races. Skip was an avid reader with a great admiration for Stephen King's writing. Yearly vacations to Madeira Beach were enjoyed through countless spring training games and most importantly, spending time with friends made there.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Wallace Funeral Home, 34 Sunnyside Drive, Sussex, NB (506-433-1176) from where visitation will be held on Monday, March 9, 2026 from 4 to 7 PM. Church Service will be held from St. Paul's United Church on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at 1:00PM. For those of you who cannot attend please join us via livestream. There will be a time of fellowship with the family immediately following the service at the Sussex Legion.

Donations in memory of Skip may be made to the SACF or Sussex Hospice or to the memorial of the donor's choice. Condolences to the family and donations may be made through WallaceFuneralHome.com.

In 2019 Skip had the heartbreaking task of writing the obituary for his son Brent. We simply couldn't say it any better so we have chosen to end Skip's obituary with his own words -

“For now, the most brilliant and creative mind will be among the stars - the journey on this planet has ended albeit far too abruptly. However, like the Star Ship Enterprise, the exploration continues...”