Born in Chicago, Illinois to Greek immigrants from the Kiato region of Corinthia,[2] Stamos served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during World War II, from 1943 to 1945, in the European theater of operations.

[3] He initially did clerical work at a military psychiatric facility in Belgium, but when the hospital began treating wounded soldiers following the Battle of the Bulge, he became a litter-bearer.

[2] As he was not slated to run for his position as a prosecutor in 1968, Stamos instead successfully sought election to the first district appellate court in that year.

He served in that position until his appointment to the Illinois supreme court in 1988,[3] to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Seymour Simon.

Stamos died of pulmonary fibrosis within hours of a dinner to celebrate his coming 93rd birthday.