Known by Edison, after graduating high school he attended the University of New Brunswick but interrupted his education during World War II to join the Royal Canadian Air Force.
He served until after V-E Day in 1945 and following his discharge from the military settled in Woodstock, New Brunswick where he established an insurance business.
From a family active in community affairs, his great-uncle Ernest W. Stairs had been a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1935 to 1939.
[1] Reelected in 1970, his party formed the government led by Premier Richard Hatfield, and Stairs was immediately named to the Cabinet.
He held several positions[2] until 1976 when, as Minister of Finance[3] and Chairman of NB Power,[4] he resigned from Cabinet to be with his terminally ill wife.