Robert (Bob) Lee Stone (July 6 1934-March 30, 2024) passed away Saturday March 30 in Payson, Utah due to a heart attack. Bob was born in Blacksburg, Virginia where in his youth he enjoyed dirt road racing and anything with cars.
When Bob turned 18, he joined the Army and served in the Korean War. After the war, he was stationed in Washington D.C. and that’s where he found the love of his life, Janet Christian, at a USO Dance where they danced the whole night long. He told Janet on their first date he would marry her. He proposed to Janet in the Halls of Congress and the two were married October 1, 1955. It was the beginning of a love affair that lasted nearly seven decades. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Logan Temple in the summer of 1971.
After Bob was discharged from the Army, Bob and Janet returned to Janet’s childhood home in Nashua, New Hampshire where his father-in-law Ronald Christian gave him a gas station to run. Bob and Janet started their family and Barbara, Bobby, Ron, and Peter grew up for much of their young lives in New Hampshire. In New Hampshire, Bob and Janet were introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by missionaries serving in the area and joined the church in 1969.
After several years in New Hampshire, Bob and Janet and their young family relocated to the Denver, Colorado area and had one more daughter, Heidi. Bob started a car restoration business where his sons Bobby and Ron worked for him. Bob had a terrific talent in this area and created a custom car.
Bob and Janet weren’t afraid of change and later in their lives they moved to several locations for new adventures. They moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, Fountain Green, Utah, back to Denver, Colorado, Port Richey, Florida and then finally to Utah County. In many of these places Bob used his talents to restore cars, put together bicycles, start a t-shirt embroidery business and drove buses and vans. He kept busy always tinkering with things around the house or helping his children fix things around theirs. Wherever Bob lived he faithfully attended church and faithfully fulfilled the different callings and responsibilities he was assigned.
Other things Bob enjoyed was spending time with his family, camping, hunting, making things, fixing things, drawing (cars) and artwork, family history, country music, stock car racing, and collecting belt buckles. But despite his diverse interests, God and family were always front and center in Bob’s life.
Bob also dealt with PTSD from his war experiences and neuropathy that came about from frostbite also suffered during the Korean War. He dealt with this pain like a true warrior. His son-in-law Brian was so impressed with his toughness that in his last years as Provo Head Wrestling Coach he gave out an award in Bob’s honor to the wrestler that exhibited the most toughness in the program.
Bob is survived by his wife Janet, five children and their spouses; Barbara Mugleston (Brad), Bobby Stone (Deborah), Ron Stone (Brenda), Peter Stone (Christy), Heidi Preece (Brian), brother Marshall, sister Joyce, along with 12 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Bob was preceded in death by his parents William and Virginia Stone, in-laws Ronald and Edna Christian, son Jeffrey, grandson Alex Stone and step-grandsons Cody Block and Cole Daugherty.
The service to honor and celebrate Bob’s life will be Thursday, April 11, 2024, 10:30 a.m. at the Utah Veterans Cemetery and Memorial Park at Camp Williams, 17111 S. Camp Williams Road, Bluffdale, UT. There will be a viewing prior to the funeral service at 9:30 a.m. The interment will follow the service at the cemetery.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.9.5