James Clayton Stone

Jimmie was born on January 26, 1926, in Spencer, Virginia, to Roy C. Stone and Stella B. Stone. He was preceded in death by his wife, Cevera M. Stone; his parents and stepmother, Evelyn H. Stone; two sisters, Hazel S. Davis (Bill) and Ora S. Owen; two sons, Scott Stone and James Stone, Jr; daughter-in-law, Tamara “Tami” Stone; and two grandchildren, Chase and Reid Stone. The family would also like to include Cathie Carter, who recently passed away. Cathie was like a daughter to Jimmie, and he loved her like a daughter. She visited him almost every day at Kings Grant and got him pizza, ice cream, or whatever he wanted, she made sure he got it.

He is survived by his son, Chuck Stone of Cascade, VA; his daughter, Lesa Vinson (Wally) of Greensboro, NC; grandson, Wade Adkins (Jen) of Scottsdale, AZ; granddaughter, Mary Katherine Stone of Reidsville, NC; daughter-in-law, Sue Stone of Martinsville, VA; stepsister, Marilyn S. Vaughn of Martinsville, VA and stepbrother, Roy C. Stone, Jr. of Homestead, FL.

Jimmie graduated from Spencer Penn School in 1943 and was valedictorian of his class. His years at Spencer Penn were very special to him, and he spoke about them often. He served in the Navy from July 1, 1944, until June 29, 1946, and was a member of the class of 1948 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was President of Virginia Carolina Freight Lines, Inc. until his retirement in 1988. Later in life, Jimmie talked about how much he appreciated all of the hard work that his employees demonstrated to make Virginia Carolina successful. He was a lifelong member of Chatham Heights Baptist Church, serving as a Deacon, a Trustee, and Sunday School teacher. One of Jimmie’s greatest passions was traveling in his motor home to the western part of the country. When he got too old to drive, his sons would take him every fall because they knew how much he loved to travel. In addition to traveling, he loved to fish, hunt, and play golf.

The family would like to thank the Kings Grant staff and nurses who work tirelessly to care for their patients. We appreciate the love and care demonstrated by the nurses assigned to our Dad as well as the Mountain Valley Hospice staff.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Chatham Heights Baptist Church, 1235 Chatham Heights Road, Martinsville, VA 24112; Spencer Penn Centre, 475 Spencer Penn Road, Spencer, VA 24165; SPCA of Martinsville/Henry County, 132 Joseph Martin Hwy., Martinsville, VA 24112.

Visitation will be September 10, 2026 from 10:00 am until 11:00 am at Collins-McKee-Stone Funeral Home,109 Broad Street, Martinsville, VA and a private interment will be held at Roselawn Burial Park afterwards.

Arrangements are by Collins-McKee-Stone Funeral Home, Martinsville, Virginia.

To express condolences online, please visit www.collinsmckeestonemartinsvile.com