Paul Joseph Stankard: key obituary facts
Is Paul Joseph Stankard dead? Yes. Paul Joseph Stankard died on October 6, 2026, at age 83.
Cause of death: Paul Joseph Stankard's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Paul Joseph Stankard known for?
He was a glass artist (born 1943).
More about Paul Joseph Stankard
Born: 7 April 1943.
Place of birth: Attleboro.
Gender: male.
Occupation: glass artist, artist.
Nationality: United States.
Education: Salem County Vocational Technical Schools.
Awards: Fellow of the American Craft Council.
Known for: glass artist, author of inspirational books for object makers.
Paul Joseph Stankard, an American glass artist, flameworker and author of inspirational books for object makers, died October 6, 2026, in Mantua, New Jersey, aged 83.
Born in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, on April 7, 1943, he was the second of nine children in an Irish Catholic family. Stankard wrote in his autobiography about struggling with dyslexia, which made classroom learning difficult.
His high school transcripts placed him near the bottom of his class, and he was mistakenly assigned a low IQ score. In 1963, he graduated from Salem County Vocational-Technical Institute, now Salem Community College, with a technical certification in scientific glassblowing technology. Salem Community College later awarded him an honorary associate degree in glass art. His work with glass included flameworking, also known as lampworking, and he was recognized as a Fellow of the American Craft Council. Stankard’s writing extended his work beyond the studio, with inspirational books for people who make objects. He was identified with both glass art and the craft of shaping glass through heat, and his training in scientific glassblowing formed part of his documented education.