Bob Stone community leader, philanthropist dies Bob Stone community leader, philanthropist dies
Jesse Robert “Bob” Stone, a leading citizen of Sonoma Valley who set a new Sonoma Valley standard for community involvement and philanthropy, died Monday, Aug. 3, at his home. He was 91.
To many of us in Sonoma Valley, Bob Stone was one of the finest, kindest, wisest and most generous men we’ve ever known. If his obituary included even half the fond remembrances and good feelings of local residents who knew him, we’d need several entire editions of the Index-Tribune to print them.
I first met him in the 1980s when he joined my dad, Robert Lynch, along with Rich Peterson and Jerry Casson, in the task of planning, raising funds for and building Vintage House senior center.
Bob and his wife, Carolyn, moved to Sonoma Valley from Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1979. He also brought his electronics import business, World Products, with him and set up shop on Eighth Street East. It wasn’t long before both he and Carolyn were deeply involved in community activities. Vintage House was their first big one.
He was born and raised in Illinois and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Illinois, Champaign, with a degree in electrical engineering. He also served in the USMC during World War II.
A member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, he was one of only 20 people who have ever been given the title of “Foundation Board of Governor: Emeritus” in the history of the fraternity, after he served on the Sigma Chi Board of Governors. He was a member of the “The Order of Constantine” which is the highest honor that a Sigma Chi can receive for service to the fraternity and he was also a “Significant Sig” which is the highest award that a Sigma Chi can receive in recognition of distinguished service in professional endeavors.
Former Sonoma Police Chief John Gurney added, “He was instrumental in establishing the Wine County Sigma Chi Alumni Association. He created the ‘Corner Stone’ leadership program, helping many young men across the country to be leaders in their personal and ultimately professional lives … I know Sigma Chi was a huge part of his life that many may not have even been aware about in Sonoma. His generosity expanded far beyond Sonoma Valley.”
With his leadership of local projects for Vintage House, the Field of Dreams, Boys & Girls Clubs, El Nido Teen Center, Sonoma Valley Hospital, Valley schools, and so many more, he not only earned numerous friends, but also the respect of everyone with whom he worked.
Bob was the first person we called when my wife, Dottie, and I began the plan to build the Field of Dreams behind the police station. Gary Nelson, another community benefactor who mirrors Bob’s leadership, talent, energy and generosity, was the chairman of our effort to raise the money and get the field built.
Gary and I recall that Bob was the prime mover in fundraising for the Field of Dreams, a lead organizer of the project. We’ll both never forget seeing Bob, his overalls and baseball cap on, with mud up to his elbows, laying pipe for the field’s sprinkler system. He was out there several days a week digging holes, laying pipe and seeding grass at the age of 72.
After completing that project, Bob, Gary and I, and many others, moved to the next big one – getting the new Boys & Girls Club built in Maxwell Park.
It wasn’t just Bob’s hard work that made these projects successful, it was also his ability to get so many other key local leaders to work hard with him.
Louann Carlomagno, current superintendent of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District, recalls, “I first met Bob when I was teaching middle school in 1996. He came to my classroom and simply asked what I needed to better prepare my students for success in science and math, and I talked about the benefits of a computer lab. I still remember him coming back to my classroom with a $30,000 check in hand and he simply said, get the students what they need. I was speechless and incredibly thankful. I had never experienced that type of generosity in my teaching career.
“He and I remained close over the years. He was a dear friend and mentor. When I became curriculum director, he and I talked regularly about how to best engage our high school students with career technical education – this was a passion of his. He was thrilled when we started the Engineering and Sustainable Ag Academies at SVHS and visited the high school this past spring to take a look at the programs. He was always such a strong advocate for public education.
“When I became superintendent, our friendship continued to blossom; he was one of the first community members to call and congratulate me on leading the district – it made my heart sing. He was tireless in his efforts to be sure that students were prepared for both college and career when graduating from SVHS. It was his counsel and thinking which really influenced my vision for the school district’s work on so many levels.
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