Retired State Sen. Steve Stoddard and his wife Barbara attended the United Way kick-off event at Los Alamos National Bank in September 2012. Photo by Carol A.Clark/ladailypost.com

Staff Report

Retired Sen. Steve Stoddard of Los Alamos died at approximately 10 a.m. today. 

He was on hospice in the past week or more. His family had traveled to Los Alamos to be with him at the end.

Stoddard was a Los Alamos Living Treasure and known for his love of displaying the American flag at his home. In 1952, he became vice president of New Mexico’s Young Republicans and went on to serve three successive terms as Justice of the Peace. First elected in 1980, Stoddard served three terms in the New Mexico State Senate and was the sole sponsor of 42 bills.

He was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds he received while fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and also was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge.

Stoddard was a member of the original trustees of the Caldera National Preserve who attended many meetings to decide the fate of the Caldera. He was given a per diem stipend that he placed into an account. By the time all was settled with the Valles Caldera, there was a significant amount of money set aside. He and his wife Barbara set up The Stoddard Scholarships, an annual $1,000 educational scholarship administered by the Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation and made available to Los Alamos High School seniors in the early spring of each school year.

Funeral arrangements for Stoddard are pending and will be announced soon.