People who are out of work and thinking about breaking into new territories might draw inspiration from a man who went back to school late in life. After working at Bath Iron Works for 22 years, Alvin (“Bub”) Stockford went back to school at the age of 44.
He excelled in three majors (plumbing, heating and air conditioning) and ran his own plumbing and heating business for 10 years. Stockford died last April at age 59. The church where the memorial service was held was full to the point of standing room only, the Stockford family said.
Stockford’s wife, Jayne, and son, Toby, recently presented a check for $1500 to the Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) Foundation in his honor. The Alvin D. Stockford Memorial Scholarship will go to support a non-traditional student in the college plumbing program. Toby and Jayne will attend a banquet in October when they will meet the award recipient.
“We wanted the scholarship to go to an older student, preferably someone taking the same class,” Jayne said, adding the recipient should have financial need and maintain a good grade point average.
Stockford was motivated to excel in school and gained the respect of his peers in the business world. Jayne said he took the time to make sure his customers understood what he was doing and was appreciated for that reason.
Before going to college, Jane said her husband worked as a supervisor in the time-keeping department at BIW until piecework was taken out of the company’s program. She said he had enough years of service behind him at the company, but was not old enough to retire.
“He had his head in a book constantly,” she said, adding she thought her husband would have enjoyed going to school even longer had it not been for his need to provide the financial support for his family.
When Toby graduated from high school, he joined his father at the college. Toby said he spent a lot of time in his father’s lab classes. He describes his father as a big man, a “teddy bear” who at first sight might have seemed intimidating to some, yet someone who would be the first to take off his shirt in a rainstorm to help another person. The need to provide for his family was not the only motivating force behind Stockford’s dedication to furthering his education.
“When he went to school, that was his full-time job,” Toby said, adding his father was an inspiration for those younger students around him. “He was my hero (and) still is to this day.”
Stockford was the first among his siblings to further his education. His family did not have a lot of money, Toby said, admiring his father for succeeding despite the odds.
“There’s nothing out of reach if there’s something you want to do,” Toby said.
There were times when Toby thought his father might have had his doubts about completing school. It was a challenging road. He took three majors in two years and Toby credits his mother for the sacrifices she made for Stockford to get through college. Stockford graduated from SMCC with a 3.814 GPA and as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa High Honors Society.
“He was a role model for students,” said Michelle Hedrich, SMCC Foundation director, adding Stockford was admired by college staff and students alike.
Hedrich said the scholarship would cover over half of a student’s tuition.
Speaking of the $1500, Hedrich said, “This will go a long way in making a difference in someone’s life. It’s amazing how generous people are, even in hard times.”
Those who qualify for scholarships have financial need and often live paycheck to paycheck. Hedrick said the funding assistance would make a big difference for those students who travel long distances, as Stockford did.
“They really are the entrepreneurs who are going to turn around our economy,” Hedrick said.
The college has a high percentage of non-traditional students and its enrollment increases roughly 10 percent each year. In 2008, the college hosted 500 students ages 35 – 44 and 1100 students ages 25 – 34. Currently, the college has over 6000 students.
Toby Stockford said he plans on going back to finish the program he started with his father and will pass the state exam. He said the easiest option for him at the time was to drop out of the program in his last semester. Toby acknowledges the right thing to do for himself is never usually the easiest. Perfection may not be attainable, he said, but it should not keep people from trying.
