05/27/2026
Chipman & Taylor Chevrolet welcomes new salesman, Craig Stovall, who had a surprise meeting on his second car sale.
Craig always knew he wanted to dedicate part of his life to public service. That’s why he spent a decade working as a firefighter in Florida. Then came his own landscape business, and a Category 5 Hurricane named Michael.
The hurricane changed everything.
“For years, we tried to figure out how to make life the way it was before Michael, and we realized we didn’t have the money. So, we came back home to the Palouse," Craig said.
He took time off and settled in. But then came another life-defining moment – a widow-maker heart attack.
“You’d think somebody who is a fighter, like me, wouldn’t be an idiot,” Craig remembered. “When my wife got me to the hospital, I walked around and was debating whether I would go in. But then I started profusely sweating.”
It’s a good thing he didn’t wait. Once inside the Emergency Room, experts knew he needed more specialized help. Crews airlifted him to another hospital. That’s because Craig was experiencing what is commonly called a widow-maker’s heart attack.
The term "widow maker" historically refers to the greater risk of a 100% blockage in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, which supplies almost 50% of the blood to your heart muscle. It changed Craig’s life.
“I have 20% permanent damage to my heart, but I feel great, and I'm doing great, and I have my year anniversary next month,” Craig said. “I'm currently in the process of tapering off my heart meds.”
Craig couldn’t meet the high demands of firefighting anymore. But he needed to work. So, he reached out to old high school friends and Chipman & Taylor co-owners Tina Taylor Amend and her husband, Fran. For him, selling cars is the perfect combination of having fun and helping people.
“I really love unpredictability,” he said. “I really love the happiness factor when you buy a new car. I love fact-finding. I love solving problems for folks."
It also didn’t hurt that the second customer he helped purchase a vehicle with was the flight medic who helped save his life.
It’s just another full-circle moment since coming back to the Palouse. We’re glad you’re with us, Craig!
