The Downey Patriot

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Alison H Stafford

October 12, 1950 - November 1, 2017

Alison H. Stafford was born October 12, 1950 to parents Samuel Stafford and Mary Stafford. Her parents the “Staffords” were the original founders/partners of the All American Market, one of first Super Markets after WWII, which later became part of Albertsons. Alison lived in Downey at the same house that her father built all her life.


Alison attended Downey High School and graduated in 1968 she then went on to study and became an Assistant Pharmacist. Alison, as she would say, put her life and career on hold to take care of first her father who died of cancer and then her invalid mother who passed away in late November 2011.


After her mother’s death, Alison volunteered a great deal of her time to various nonprofit organizations in the City of Downey. She became very civilly minded. She helped found the “Downey Bicycle Coalition” and was on the board of the “Friends of the Library” and the “Downey Conservancy and as well as the “Downey Historical Society.” and she helped the “Downey Rose Float Association” but mostly she dedicated countless hours helping out at the “Knights of Columbus” in Downey  where she took charge running the snack bar at Bingo on Tuesday nights. To help the Knights of Columbus,  Alison  put her shopping skills to good use and purchased all food and janitorial supplies at the best price possible.


She used her coupons and considered herself a “Great Shopper”. She got a thrill from getting the best deals and saving the Knights of Columbus money.


Alice had great pride in her support of the Green Movement she reduced, reused, recycled and repurposed with the best of them. She also loved to use public transportation and would use it to go events such as the Long Beach Grand Prix and the Car Shows at the L. A. and O.C. Convention Centers.


Alice suffered from a very rare autoimmune disease “Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)” which claimed her life. She passed away quietly on November 1, 2017 at  Whittier Presbyterian Hospital. She is survived by her significant other Esteban D. Perez,Sr. and  two brothers Richard and Scott Stafford. A memorial service for Alison will be held Saturday January 27th at 1pm at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Downey, located at 11231 Rives Ave., Downey.