Edward W. Stimpson, the founding and long time head of the General Aviation Manufacturers Assn. (GAMA), who went on to become the U.S. representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and finally chairman of the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), died today at his home in Boise, Idaho, after a long illness.

Tall, quiet, elegant and effective, Stimpson was one of general aviation's foremost and respected advocates in Washington. He is credited, along with former Cessna Chairman and CEO Russ Meyer, with championing the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994, which helped reinvigorate an industry by capping manufacturers product liability to 18 years.

A Harvard graduate, Stimpson joined FAA at the invitation of then-Administrator Najeeb Halaby and served the agency through much of the 1960s as its congressional liaison. He was appointed head of GAMA shortly after that organization's founding in 1970 and remained its head almost continuously for 25 years.

President Clinton later nominated him to represent the country at ICAO, and he served in that ambassadorial post from 1999 to 2004, ending his tenure at the U.N. agency as vice president of the Assembly.

He became chairman of the FSF in 2005, resigning that position only recently.

During his long career, Stimpson received numerous awards including the National Business Aviation Award for meritorious service and Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy for lifetime achievement. The December 2009 issue of Business & Commercial Aviation names him a Vision Award recipient for 2009, citing his long time advocacy, furthering aviation safety, and dedicating his life "to brining light, truth and fairness to every arena."

Photo credit: City of Boise