Remembering Will Stacey, a son and a soldier

As legal historians, and simply as human beings, one contribution we try to make is to nurture the next generation.  We do that as teachers, of course, but we also do that as parents, aunts, uncles and neighbors.  As our collective children grow to adulthood, we don’t expect them to be taken from us.  It seems both tragic and unfair.  For one legal historian and her family, this year has brought both that great unfairness, and at the same time a message from her son, showing us the way that those taken too early leave their own legacy.

With great sadness, I share this news from Laura Kalman and Reuel Schiller:

Will, Robin, Anna and Bob Stacey

We are deeply saddened to have to report the death of Will Stacey, the son of our friend and colleague Robin Chapman Stacey, a legal historian who teaches in the history department at the University of Washington. Will, who was sergeant in the Marine Corps, was killed in Afghanistan on January 31st.  He was 23 years old. 

Robin is a splendid teacher, and a prolific, prize-winning scholar of medieval European law,  focusing particularly on Celtic law in early Ireland and Wales.  She is also an active member of the legal history community - she is a member of the Law and History Review's editorial board and a past member of the Board of Directors of the American Society for Legal History.  We hope that the community of legal historians will join us in extending our condolences to Robin (email here) and her husband Bob, as well as their daughter, Anna, and Will's long-time girlfriend, Kimmy Kirkwood.

Robin, Bob, Anna, and Kimmy have decided that the best way to honor Will would be through donations to support the Little League baseball teams in Seattle.  Will was a superb player--a star pitcher for many years--and loved little kids. They believe that Will would be thrilled if he was remembered at a baseball field, or in a team name, or even through the purchase of some uniforms. Donations, which are tax-deductable, may be sent to:

Roosevelt University Greenlake Little League
Attn: Will Stacey Memorial Fund
9594 First Avenue NE, #122
Seattle WA 98115

Will Stacy's life and death are covered in The Seattle Times.  ABC News selected him as a "Person of the Week" last week (embedded below), sharing his letter to his parents that his service in Afghanistan had been worth the terrible price.