Denise Maureen Stone

Denise Stone passed on to heaven at her home on May 3, 2025 in Centennial, Colorado. She was born in Summit, NJ on Sept. 2, 1957, to parents Clara Adele Vandenberg Stone and Joseph John Stone who predeceased her. She was their fourth daughter, and she is survived by her sisters Muriel Marie Stone Manning of Encinitas, CA, and Karen Ann Stone Silver of Neenah, Wi, in addition to several cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was predeceased in 2020 by a sister, Andra Lynn Stone of Houston, TX.

Even though Denise's first home with Clara and Joseph and her sisters was in Springfield, NJ, she moved internationally while growing up. During her high school years, she attended the Overseas School of Rome, Italy, initiating her interest in languages and the study of ancient Roman history. She graduated from Valdez (AK) High School (1975) and went on to Texas Christian University (B.S. in Geology,1979), Memphis State University (M.S. Geology, 1981) and Rice University Jones School of Business ("The Management Program", 1997).

She entered the oil business as a summer geological hire at Unocal in Houston, TX in 1978. After graduation in 1981, she went to work as a petroleum exploration geologist in Houston, TX with Superior Oil before moving on to Mobil, Amoco, and BP. After BP she worked as a Houston- and Denver-based independent consulting geologist focusing on Trinidad, the North Sea, and Alaska until she retired in 2012. She moved to Colorado in 2017 and became very active in the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists (RMAG) with the On The Rocks (OTR) fieldtrip committee.

Denise loved geological field work, well site work, and exploring for oil and gas in frontier areas around the world. In addition to long hours in the office and in partner meetings, she spent time on the ground in Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, Egypt, and Colombia. She also authored or coauthored more than 20 peer-reviewed publications and presentations on international and domestic topics on oil and natural gas exploration and production including significant works on Alaska and Kenya.

She held many leadership positions in civil and professional societies including the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), the Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists (SIPES), and the Houston Geological Society (HGS) including President.

She loved several dogs over her lifetime. Her favorite hobby was lap swimming where she made life-long friends. Piano playing and cooking Italian food were also two of her favorite activities.

At the time of her death, she was an active member of St. Mark Catholic Church, Highlands Ranch, CO. She thanks the parishioners of St. Mark and Father Greg Bierbaum for their prayers and attention during her illness. She also thanks all her friends and family for their loving concern and visits during her illness.

A funeral mass in celebration of her life will be held at St. Mark Catholic Church, Highland Ranch, CO, May 16, 2025, and followed at a later date by a memorial service at St. John Vianney Catholic Church chapel, 625 Nottingham Oaks Trail, Houston, TX 77079; https://www.stjohnvianney.org. In lieu of flowers please donate to the (Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists [RMAG] Denise M. Stone Memorial Scholarship Fund for Geology Field Trips (730 17th St., B1, Denver, CO 80202 or https://www.rmag.org/index.php?src=forms&ref=Donations) or the Cholangiocarcenoma Foundation (5526 West 13400 South, #510, Herriman, Utah 84096 or https://www.cholangiocarcinoma.org/donate/).