| John W. Stone, Sr., 90, of Wrightsville Beach, NC, formerly of Spencer, West Virginia, died Monday, May 7, 2012, following a brief illness, at the New Hanover Regional Medical Center.
He was born March 19, 1922 in Spencer, the son of the late Chris and Flora Ferrell Stone. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a daughter, Kathryn Criss Stone in 1970.
Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Virginia Joan Cronin Stone, three children, John William Stone, Jr. and his wife, Gail of Spencer, Patricia Johnston and her husband, John of Wilmington, NC and Mary Susan Holland and her husband, Rick of Arlington, VA; five grandchildren and one great grandchild.
He attended Spencer High School and West Virginia University. In 1943, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps while attending Yale University and went on to advanced training in RADAR at Harvard and MIT. After the war, he served as Director of Veterans Affairs for Roane and Clay Counties. He then returned to service as a Captain in the USAF during the Korean War.
After returning to Spencer, he owned and operated the Roxalana Poultry Farm. In the early 1960's he became an independent oil and gas producer. Until his retirement, he was the co-owner and managing partner of Five Star Gas Company, Five Star Project 80, Massa Oil Company and J.W. Stone & Associates. He was a member of the West Virginia Independent Oil and Gas Association and served as its second president in 1966.
During his lifetime, he served on numerous community and corporate boards of directors. He served on the Roane County Board of Education from 1962 thru 1974. In 1966, he was a founding board member of Roane General Hospital and remained on the Board of Directors until 1986. He served on the Southern States Cooperative Board of Directors in Richmond, VA for 33 years. He also served on the Board of Directors for Farm Credit Bank of Baltimore, CoBANK of Denver, CO, the Texas City Refinery, Texas City, TX, and the Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation, New York, NY.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, May 19 at 11:00 a.m. in the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, Spencer, with Fr. David Glockner as celebrant. Burial, with military graveside rites, accorded by the USAF, will be in the Clover Cemetery, Clover. Friends may call Friday, May 18 from 6-8 p.m. at the John H. Taylor Funeral Home, Spencer.
Memorial donations are preferred to the Roane General Hospital Foundation, 200 Hospital Drive, Spencer, WV 25276 or the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, 602 Parkersburg Road, Spencer, WV 25276.
Condolences may be expressed online at taylorfuneralhomeinc.com
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