Eulogy

August 29, 1938 to January 26, 2012

John Royal Stone was a strong, gentle man who used his unique gifts to make people feel important. 

Born, August 29, 1938 to Royal and Clara Stone, he was witness to impressionable events in a quickly changing world.  As a boy he remembered the excitement over VE and VJ days that brought WW II to an end.  As a young man, he saw adventure first hand and helped rescue people through his military service with the Coast Guard.

Although he earned his living as a general contractor, John will be remembered most for his tireless work with young people.  His ability to engage, listen to, and challenge young people were the hallmark of his life and the reason why he was beloved by so many.  The son of a professional scouter, he was a long-serving scoutmaster himself and took on the most rowdy and rambunctious boys with delight.  He had a gift for organizing tough and meaningful events that helped shape boys into trustworthy, hard-working men.  Hiking in the mountains was one of his great pleasures, and he would frequently trial his hikes with his girls so that a complaining scout could later be shamed for not being up to a hike that his little daughters had managed.

He was a champion of the underprivileged and spent his last years as a teacher at Hartvigsen School for the disabled.  His reputation there was one of a loving, patient steward who cared for children living with less than perfect bodies and minds.

As a father and husband, he was the lone man in a house full of six girls, and he was our hero.  He was thoughtful in all his actions toward us – from putting on our socks with seams straight, cutting fresh carrots in the morning for lunchboxes, tying sashes behind dresses oh so tight to selling his tools to provide for our unforeseen expenses – we always knew we were his first love.  He was tender and concerned and insisted on treating us like we were his equals and we all grew up wanting to marry someone just like him.  We will miss his wise counsel and his fascinating stories. 

Love you dad!