ONE ON ONE | Helen Stambaugh Woman keeps husband's memory alive through her work

Anybody living in the Mahoning Valley has heard the name Stambaugh -- Stambaugh Auditorium, Stambaugh Stadium, Stambaugh hardware stores ... What is it like to be a part of such a famous family?
Well first of all, there were two Stambaugh families, and they were not related. My husband was involved in the hardwood lumber manufacturing business, Stambaugh Hardwood Lumber Co. There was no family connection between him and Stambaugh hardware. The hardware business, Stambaugh Auditorium, the Stambaugh building downtown, the Stambaugh Boy Scout Camp, those were all the Henry Stambaugh estate and a different family.
How did you and your husband meet?
Arnold came from Lincoln, Neb., and I worked for him as an administrative assistant in his lumber business for 36 years. When he retired, I stayed on for a while to close out the business. He was hoping to live in Florida in his retirement, but his wife became very ill, and she died. He stayed in Florida for a while, but then he came back and he asked me to marry him. He said he didn't think anyone else would ever be able to understand him.
But you didn't stop working when the lumber business closed?
No, I was too young to retire. Arnold was involved in raising the funds to build the Park Vista Retirement Community, and I worked on that too. Around the time he retired from the lumber business, an executive from Ohio Presbyterian Homes came to me and asked me to work for them.
My first job there was a marketing job for the Park Vista building, traveling around Ohio and interviewing residents. I loved it. I was starting with about 66 from the old property which was down on Bryson and Illinois. People were predicting that when those 66 moved from the old building there would be a high death rate, but I didn't lose anyone for three years. It was such a record. I involved them. I created a lot of things for them to think about. I had them pack their own things -- gave them boxes, string and labels. We let them pick their rooms. They could pick the colors for their walls. Everybody was involved in the move.
What was your title when you left Park Vista?
I was executive director. I was there about 10 years. Then later Park Vista wanted a family administrator. They hired a man with a wife and two children, so I went to Shepherd of the Valley in Niles. I was executive director there for quite a while before I got married. I would have been close to 60.
It's kind of ironic that you live in Park Vista yourself now.
Well, when I reached 80 I thought I should take my own advice. I always advised people to make the move when you can do it yourself -- make your own decisions because then you're in command of your things. Don't wait until somebody says: "Well you've got to do this because we can't take care of you anymore."
I know your husband was passionate about philanthropy. Have you been able to carry that on?
Yes, I think so. He was great on supporting the Boy Scouts, and he was great on education. I have established in his name a football scholarship that funds one player each year, and just recently I was asked to contribute to the Wellness Center at YSU. I'd been thinking of establishing another scholarship, but Dr. Sweet met with me one day and said the Wellness Center takes priority over another football scholarship. So I agreed. The football scholarship was $150,000, and I pledged $150,000 for the Wellness Center. I have five years to pay that.
Tell me something about your work at SCORE.
When you retire you have to do something. Some people like to play cards and that kind of thing, but I love being a part of the business world. This keeps me in the stream of business.
Some of our clients are very well-established people who know what they want to do. And then, we have people who want to start a business and who don't really know very much about it.
So, we've made a questionnaire to help people see how much they know about the business they want to get into, or how much they need to know. That way, we don't have to tell them if we think the idea isn't going to work.
What else do you enjoy?
Being busy. I have a small garden, and I love looking at my flowers and vegetables to see how they're growing and what came out overnight. I also love working in my church, doing the business work there.