Former Idaho Congressman Richard Stallings Honored at Pocatello Banquet Months After His Death
POCATELLO — Richard Stallings, a former U.S. Congressman from Pocatello who passed away last October at the age of 85, was honored Thursday evening at a banquet hosted by the Bannock County Democrats at Juniper Hills Country Club.
The event, known as the Stallings Banquet, had been held previously in prior years but this marked the first time it was held since the death of its namesake. Stallings died at his home from an aggressive form of lymphoma, surrounded by family, according to his widow, Rebecca Richards.
His daughter, Sallianne Duncan, attended the banquet and reflected on her father’s legacy with EastIdahoNews.com, saying he would want to be remembered above all as a devoted family man and a dedicated public servant.
“He would want to be remembered as a husband, father, grandfather — and I think he would want to be remembered as a statesman — and what I mean by that is someone who put the people first before power,” Duncan said in remarks reported by EastIdahoNews.com.
A Career Rooted in Service to Idaho
Born in Ogden, Utah, Stallings moved to Idaho in 1969 with his wife, Ranae Garner, to teach history at what was then Ricks College — now Brigham Young University–Idaho. He taught there until his election to Congress in 1984, where he went on to serve three terms representing eastern Idaho.
After losing a bid for an open U.S. Senate seat in 1992, Stallings was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as the United States Nuclear Waste Negotiator, a post he held until 1995. He subsequently returned to Pocatello, where he served as executive director of Pocatello Neighborhood Housing Services, an organization that later became Neighborworks Pocatello.
Duncan told EastIdahoNews.com that while some might have viewed a local housing role as a step down after federal service, her father embraced the work with genuine pride. When family visited from Utah, Stallings would drive them through the city to show them housing projects his organization was completing.
“He would just talk with such pride about the new families that were able to get into homes that normally would be a dream that would never be realized,” Duncan said, as reported by EastIdahoNews.com.
In 2000, Stallings returned to elected office, winning a seat on the Pocatello City Council, where he served from 2001 to 2007. Duncan said the scale of the position never diminished its importance to her father. “I don’t think it mattered to him where he served, but just that he served,” she said.
A Family Man and Natural Storyteller
Stallings and his late wife Ranae, who died in 2015, had three children, seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. According to Duncan, the family’s cabin in Island Park was a gathering place where Stallings would take grandchildren on four-wheeler rides and fishing trips, and share stories around the campfire — moments his grandchildren remember as some of their fondest.
One of his signature stories was the tale of Hugh Glass, the frontier trapper later depicted in the 2015 film The Revenant. “He always started this story with, ‘Hugh Glass was a tough old bird,’ and the kids would just be captivated,” Duncan recalled, as reported by EastIdahoNews.com.
Duncan described her father as a natural orator with a storyteller’s instinct shaped by decades in the classroom. Even as his health declined near the end of his life, he made the trip to Utah to witness the birth of his youngest grandchild — a moment Duncan said illustrated the kind of man he was until the very end.
At the banquet Thursday, Duncan had the opportunity to speak with elected officials her father had mentored and candidates he had supported over the years, hearing stories about his impact that were new even to her. “I always love to hear stories about my dad and meet people whose lives he touched,” she said.
Stallings remained politically active through the final chapter of his life, and was known among those who knew him as a gifted public speaker who could deliver a polished, thoughtful address entirely without preparation — a skill Duncan attributed to his long career as a history teacher and his natural gift for narrative.
What Comes Next
The Bannock County Democrats have not announced whether the Stallings Banquet will become an annual tradition going forward. No additional memorial events have been publicly announced at this time. Those seeking more information on Richard Stallings’ life and career can visit EastIdahoNews.com, which has published prior coverage of his passing and his years of public service to Southeast Idaho. For statewide political coverage, visit idahonews.co, and for regional news across the network, visit IdahoNewsNetwork.com.