John W. "Jack" Stockman, a longtime Sacramento State business professor and international management expert who was a leader in community service groups, died Nov. 22 of cancer, his family said. He was 71.

Dr. Stockman taught organizational behavior and management for more than 30 years at California State University, Sacramento. He joined the College of Business Administration in 1970 and was director of the Center for Management Services. Respected by students – including many local business professionals – for his academic and real-world experience, he received the CSUS Outstanding Teaching Award.

"Not only did he teach his subject well, he gave his students a philosophy of life," former business dean Josef Moorehead said. "What he imparted is that you have to go out and grab life and really live it as part of what you do professionally. He certainly walked the talk."

As a management consultant, Dr. Stockman provided advice on running organizations to major corporate, government and nonprofit clients, including Hewlett Packard, IBM, Sacramento Regional Transit and the California Public Employees' Retirement System.

He traveled around the world as a consultant to employee-owned groups in China and government officials in Russia, Latvia and Turkmenistan.

He served Sacramento as an active volunteer in organizations working to improve community quality of life, especially for young people. He tapped friends in the business community for help as a leader in the Boys & Girls Clubs, Child Abuse Prevention Council, Sacramento Community Services Planning Council, Sacramento City Education Foundation and Pride Industries.

He belonged to Rotary Club of Sacramento for 22 years and recently joined the board of First Tee of Sacramento, which teaches values to youngsters through playing golf.

"Jack really had a heart for kids who didn't get an even break in life," said Fred Teichert of the Teichert Foundation. "He saw his volunteer work as doing good but also setting an example for how business networks get involved in so many ways."

Born in 1941 in Springfield, Ill., John William Stockman earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and master's degree in management from Southern Illinois University. He earned a doctorate in organizational theory and industrial relations from University of Washington and taught at Drake University before joining CSUS.

He lived in Sacramento and was married for 27 years to Nancy Stockman, who survives him. He had two daughters during a previous marriage to Kay Jeanne Lyerla.

Dr. Stockman enjoyed snow-skiing and golfing as an active member of the Sacramento Kandahar Ski Club and Del Paso Country Club. He was a positive, enthusiastic man who laughed easily with family, students and friends but worked behind the scenes as a business expert and organization leader.

"He was a humble guy," daughter Stacey Young said, "but he was probably the smartest person I've ever known."

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