05.02.2021

Richard Vaughn Stam 1925-2021

We have received the sad news that Dick Stam, who is thought to be Utah’s first mobile crane operator and father of Mountain Crane Service founder Lon Stam. has died. He passed away on the first of February at the age of 95.
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Dick Stam

He leaves behind his children, Loralee, Lon, Jillyn, Darren and Renee, along with 27 grandchildren and 37 great grandchildren. His wife, Muriel, passed away in 2012 at the age of 83, following 64 years of marriage.

Dick Stam started out in the Merchant Marines, and after completing his service, he returned to Salt Lake City and bought a service station, which he ran alongside a car paint spraying service. One day in 1947, Paul Paulsen, the owner of Paulsen Construction, stopped by the station and asked Dick if he would like to work for him, as he had heard that he was a mechanical genius. Dick responded that if he would pay him more than he made at the service station, he had a deal.

So at the age of 22, Dick began his career with Paulsen Construction that lasted more than 40 years. In 1949 Paulsen purchased its first crane, said to be the first in the state of Utah, and Paul asked Dick if he would like to run it. He naturally said Yes!, thus becoming the first crane operator in Utah. And more than once was said to be “Best crane operator on that side of the Mississippi”.

Dick himself was most proud that he never had an accident in his long career at the controls. He must though have been equally proud of his son Lon, who set up Mountain Crane and built it into one of the largest crane rental companies in the country.
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Lon Stam of Mountain Crane with his father Dick Stam

Dick Stam would often say that he “had lived a long, happy, adventurous and fulfilling life and that he would love to do it all over again.”