VERSAILLES — Tom Stone died peacefully in Versailles, Ohio on February 22nd, 2024. His wife of 58 years, Myrna, was by his side along with other loving family. Tom had been living with Alzheimer’s disease for the last five years.
He was born Thomas Randall Stone on May 21st, 1943 in Youngstown, Ohio to Thomas Nicholas Stone and Margaret (Short) Stone. From his glamorous and vivacious parents, Tom inherited an enviable measure of charm and good looks, athletic skill, fashion sense, and open- hearted curiosity.
Tom was an average student but a gifted friend and sportsman. At Shaker Heights High School (class of ’61), he was part of the undefeated 1961 varsity golf team and captain of the varsity basketball team, earning him a scholarship to play college basketball at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio. At ONU, he majored in Business and joined Sigma Phi Epsilon. Most importantly, he saw Myrna Subler walking on campus one evening, turned around to follow her into a cafe, and spent the next four hours falling in love. They married in 1965 at St. Denis Church in Versailles.
Tom served in the Army from 1966 to 1969, spending a year in Vietnam as part of the 1st Signal Brigade stationed at Long Binh. Upon his discharge, he accepted a job working for his father-in- law at Subler Transfer in Versailles. Later, he and several other former Subler executives formed Shenandoah Motor Express, where he eventually served as President before retiring from the trucking business for good in 2006. He was a faithful member of various bridge foursomes and bowling leagues, and a minor golf legend at the Greenville Country Club.
Tom and Myrna welcomed their son T.R. in 1970 and daughter Moira in 1976. One of Tom’s great joys was following the journeys of his children as they grew into their own lives: T.R. to Indiana where he met his soulmate Lynn and brought Tom two of the apples of his eye (grandkids Makenna and Ethan); and Moira to New York City, where he delighted in traveling to see her theater performances and celebrate her marriage to fellow artist Robert.
Together with Myrna, Tom became an expert collector of antiques from the 17th and 18th centuries. Eventually, after joining the Antiques Study Club of Dayton, they acquired a disassembled 18th century house, originally constructed in 1761 in Rhode Island, and rebuilt it on a rise overlooking the Greenville creek. Tom relished sharing the house with family, friends, members of the public, and other art and antiques collectors.
Tom was witty, generous, and incredibly kind, particularly to people that others seemed to overlook. If he was in your corner, he was all in. He loved sitting and chatting with people about life after a good meal. But mostly, he was very good at making people laugh. A quick wit and humor were his secret weapons and served him and those around him especially well in times of trouble. He chose to look at life, even when it was difficult, as teaching us something important about the power of perseverance. His invariably seeing the bright side and helping us to see it too was one of his best gifts to us.
Tom was predeceased by his parents and his two older half-sisters Patricia Ann Stone and Joan Lindquist. He is survived by: his wife Myrna Jeanne (Subler) Stone; his son Thomas Randall (T.R.) Stone II, daughter-in-law Lynn Stone and grandchildren Ethan and Makenna; and daughter Moira Stone and son-in-law Robert Honeywell. He is also survived by nieces Tracy Beebe and Leslie Cramb, nephew Keith Lindquist, brothers-in-law Eddie Subler and Brad Subler, and their spouses, partners, and children as well as Richard Subler’s children and grandchildren.
Tom’s family gives special thanks to Hope Sampson, Charlene Anders and especially Michelle Phillippi, for the care and love they gave Tom and all of us during his illness.
A service celebrating Tom’s life will be held from 3:00 to 5:00 pm on Saturday, 6 April at Bailey Zechar Funeral Home in Versailles. All are welcome. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.zecharbailey.com for the Stone family.
Published by The Daily Advocate from Mar. 4 to Mar. 10, 2024.