Jon Phillip Stairs - Obituary

on Phillip Stairs, 86, a 45-year resident of Harwood, MD passed away on January 22, 2026. Born on June 10, 1939 in Pittsburgh, PA to the late Sherman Homer Stairs and Marian Noullet Stairs, Jon graduated from Plum Township High School in 1958 before serving in the United States Army from 1958 to 1961, where he specialized in cryptology. He began his impressive career with the US Federal Government at the Department of the Army in Lexington, KY from 1961 to 1963, before transferring to GSA in the communication security field. He retired in 1995 as Deputy Commissioner in charge of the Office of Information Security Management. Jon married Elizabeth Esther Farkas in 1961 and together they had a son, Jon Kevin. Elizabeth passed away in 1986. In 1988, he met his wife Jane. Jon was an excellent golfer and was a founding member of the Golf Club at South River. He was also a board member and treasurer of the Harwood Civic Association. He always had a garden every year and at times had some chickens. He enjoyed traveling, and he and Jane took many interesting and exciting trips and cruises together around the world. In addition to his parents, Jon was preceded in death by his first wife, Elizabeth and his brother, Sherman. He is survived by his loving wife of 38 years, Jane; his son, Jon Kevin; his grandson, Jon Kolin; and his granddaughter, Kaylea Esther. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Ronald McDonald House of Maryland (1 Aisquith Street, Baltimore, MD 21202) or to the SPCA of Anne Arundel County (PO Box 3471, Annapolis, MD 21403).