ED STAHL
Memorial Steering Committee
Hooked on travel his whole life, Ed Stahl has been around the world. Combining all his travels, he has been around the world many times.
Born in Brooklyn in 1931, his family moved to Chappaqua, NY when Ed was 5 years old. At 16 he drove 18,000 miles, across the U.S. and Mexico in the brand-new family Chrysler. He attended Horace Greeley School, graduating in 1949. From there he went to Purdue University where he received a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering.
Ed served in the Army as a member of the Corps of Engineers. He was stationed in southern Germany to guard against possible attacks by the Russians. There he helped build bridges across the Danube and Rhine Rivers.
After his discharge, he drove from New Jersey to San Francisco where he found a job with Shell Oil, managing their San Jose district –from the Bay area to Pismo Beach—and building 30 gas stations a year.
One of his stations was the last wooden station built in California, in the Town of Los Gatos. Ed fell in love with the town, and with native Californian Betty White. The two married in 1960, and decided they wanted to raise a family in Los Gatos.
Not long after their marriage Shell requested that Ed relocate to their head office in New York. His wife said, “You can go if you want to.” This statement launched Ed’s next career.
He and a friend from the Army, Brad Honholt, along with their wives, bought Travel Advisors of Los Gatos. They ran the agency together until the late 1960s, when Ed and Betty bought out the Honholts.
Of course running a travel agency is conducive to travel, and Ed used to make several big trips a year. In addition to regularly accompanying his family to Acapulco, Hawaii, Lake Powell and back east to his roots in Chappaqua and Waterford, VA, he has visited Antarctica three times; made multiple trips to China, India, South Africa, Norway, Russia, Japan, India…; spent extensive time in Haida Gwaii; made the first commercial crossing of the Northwest Passage. This list could go on and on.
A very active community member, Ed belongs to the St. Claire Club, the Saratoga Men’s Club, and the Los Gatos Rotary Club, which has also advanced his travels, as he has traveled to assist on humanitarian projects in Guatemala, Thailand, the Philippines, and Ecuador.
Although he’s slowed down a bit, Ed is still running Travel Advisors. He also returns east annually; several times a year goes on inaugural voyages of cruise ships; accompanies an occasional tour group or wine cruise; and looks forward to visiting Tasmania.
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and transform lives for America’s heroes. Every single penny contributes to delivering the honor, respect gratitude and healing to those who’ve defended America’s freedom.
TOGETHER, WE'RE UNSTOPPABLE
A Memorial creates an actual place where veterans, all who serve their country and families of all races, creeds, social status and opinion can find a place that creates a healing environment to reflect and value one of our greatest gifts--to live in a free society.
"Going clear back to the Civil War, all of our Veterans have raised their right hand and swore to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. And along with that we wrote a check to the U.S. Government and the American People for an amount up to and including our lives. Unfortunately, far too many have given their all in that regard.""It is important to have a war memorial because it must not be forgotten that many people gave their lives so that we Americans might have what we have today."