HOUSE RESOLUTION EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF THE HONORABLE BURTON STALLWOOD, the official text

H8565 2026 -- H 8565 ======== LC006480 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF THE HONORABLE BURTON STALLWOOD Introduced By: Representatives Shallcross Smith, Blazejewski, Kazarian, Chippendale, Paplauskas, Santucci, Ajello, Fogarty, Shanley, and Spears Date Introduced: May 19, 2026 Referred To: House read and passed 1 WHEREAS, It is with deep sadness that this House of Representatives has learned of the 2 passing of the Honorable Burton Burt Stallwood, of Fairfax, Virginia, and formerly of Lincoln, 3 Rhode Island. He was the beloved husband of the late Jane Stallwood; and 4 WHEREAS, Burton Stallwood was born in 1939 in Attleboro, Massachusetts, the son of 5 the late Harold and Margaret Stallwood. He graduated from Tolman High School in Pawtucket, 6 and later graduated from Johnson & Wales University, where he earned an Associate Degree in 7 Business Administration, and later attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at 8 Harvard University, where he completed a program for senior executives in state and local 9 government; and 10 WHEREAS, Mr. Stallwood served our nation with honor and distinction as a member of 11 the United States Air Force, beginning in 1960, attaining the rank of Senior Airman prior to his 12 honorable discharge. After completing his military service, Mr. Stallwood returned to Rhode 13 Island and established and operated the highly successful Stallwood Insurance and Real Estate 14 Agency from 1964 to 1972; and 15 WHEREAS, In 1973, Burton Stallwood was elected to serve as the Town Administrator 16 of Lincoln and served the citizens of Lincoln in that position for 28 years with tireless devotion 17 and abiding integrity. As the longest-serving municipal chief executive in the Town s history, he 18 guided the Town to greater growth, nurtured a strong business climate within the Town, created a 19 safe environment for people to work, play and raise families, and was widely admired for his 1 incredible work ethic and stellar leadership skills; and 2 WHEREAS, Following his municipal service to the Town of Lincoln, Mr. Stallwood was 3 nominated by President George W. Bush in June of 2002, to serve as United States Marshal for 4 the District of Rhode Island. Mr. Stallwood was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 5 1, 2002, and proceeded to serve our nation with distinction for seven years; and 6 WHEREAS, Throughout his long and distinguished public service career, Mr. Stallwood 7 lent his time and talents in support of numerous charitable, civic and governmental entities. He 8 was actively involved in the Rhode Island Jaycees (Junior Chamber), serving as the President of 9 the Rhode Island Chapter and later served as their National Vice President. He was later awarded 10 the designation of JCI Senator, a national lifetime honor awarded by the Junior Chamber 11 International in recognition of his outstanding leadership and sustained service; and 12 WHEREAS, Throughout his long and distinguished career, Mr. Stallwood held numerous 13 positions of great influence at the state and national levels to include serving on the Board of 14 Directors of the National League of Cities, the Governor s Growth Planning Council, the 15 Governor’s Advisory Committee on Judicial Appointments, as an Executive Board liaison to the 16 Governor through the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, the Rhode Island Solid Waste 17 Management Corporation, and the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley Heritage Corridor 18 Commission. Mr. Stallwood also served as a delegate with the United States Envoy to the Baltic 19 States Foundation, where he helped teach the principles of democracy to the emerging leaders of 20 the newly democratic Baltic States; and 21 WHEREAS, Locally, Mr. Stallwood was an active member of numerous organizations 22 including the Blackstone Valley Historical Society, Save the Bay, the Knights of Columbus, the 23 American Cancer Society, and the Rhode Island Zoological Society; and 24 WHEREAS Mr. Stallwood was an active Republican who served the party on the 25 national level, including chairing the Rhode Island Reagan-Bush Election Committee, serving as 26 a delegate to the Republican National Convention, and on the Republican National Platform 27 Committee; and 28 WHEREAS, Mr. Stallwood received many honors in recognition of his esteemed public 29 service life, including the Distinguished Alumni Award from Johnson & Wales University, and 30 induction into the Cumberland-Lincoln Boys & Girls Club Hall of Fame. Mr. Stallwood was also 31 honored officially by the State of Rhode Island with proclamations proclaiming October 26, 1998 32 to be Burton Stallwood Appreciation Day in the State of Rhode Island, and Burt Stallwood 33 Recognition Day on May 6, 2001; and 34 WHEREAS, Mr. Stallwood was a man of deep Christian faith and was heavily involved LC006480 - Page 2 of 3 1 in the church life of his community, particularly at St. Ambrose Church in Albion, where he 2 served as a Eucharistic Minister and Parish Trustee. In 2017, he was honored with the Lumen 3 Gentium Award for Public Service, presented by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, in 4 recognition of his lifetime of faithful and ethical public leadership; and 5 WHEREAS, Mr. Stallwood is survived by his three children, Scott Stallwood and his 6 wife, Becky, Gregg Stallwood and his wife, Gail, and Tracey Gardiner and her husband, Ed, 7 along with his grandchildren, Patrick Stallwood and his wife, Christina, Emma, Elise, Tyler and 8 Cassie Stallwood, Elena Poole and her husband, Channing, John Gardiner and his wife, Sarah, 9 Elizabeth Salazar and her husband, Alex, and Ward, Colson and Erin Gardiner. Mr. Stallwood 10 also leaves behind his great-grandchildren, Nina, Edie, Rhodes, Josie, James and Abigail, as well 11 as his sisters, Carol Miles, Margaret Stallwood and Deborah Stallwood. He was the brother of the 12 late Harold Stallwood Jr., and Kathryn Kitchen; now, therefore be it 13 RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 14 expresses its deepest condolences to the Stallwood Family on the passing of the Honorable 15 Burton Stallwood; and be it further 16 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 17 transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Scott Stallwood, Gregg Stallwood and Tracey 18 Gardiner. ======== LC006480 ======== LC006480 - Page 3 of 3