Samuel MacDonald Stone

Samuel MacDonald Stone II, (Sam) 88 of Old Saybrook, CT, Magnolia Springs, AL and formerly of Westfield, NJ, passed away on April 20, 2023 surrounded by loved ones. He will be remembered for his devotion to family, his creative sensibility and many entrepreneurial endeavors.

Sam was raised in West Hartford, CT by his parents Lenora Stone and H. Taylor Stone. His grandparents Alice B. Stone and Samuel M. Stone (president of Colt Manufacturing from 1921-1944) were an important childhood presence. As a child, Sam trained as a WWII aircraft spotter and memorized the silhouettes of allied and axis power aircraft, an experience that would inspire a future career in engineering.

Sam graduated from Hall High School, West Hartford, CT and from Trinity College, Hartford, CT with a BA in Psychology ('57). In addition, he attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, and Temple University and University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA, where he gained his passion for electronics and radio. Soon after, he married Mary Olive Schlich of Loxley, AL after meeting her at the Strawbridge and Clothier Department Store in Philadelphia, where she held a summer job. Sam and Mary Olive would go on to raise their 4 children in Westfield, NJ, their primary residence for over 50 years. Sam was a cherished neighbor, and taught a generation of children to use tools, repair various vehicles and work with their hands.

Professionally, Sam was an electrical engineer, security systems designer and inventor, and established Electro Marketing, his design and consulting firm in 1974. An expert in his field, he advised on security systems for the World Trade Center complex, The Port Authority of NY/NJ and several state capital buildings in the Northeast. Sam applied his entrepreneurial spirit to all aspects of his life. He was a gifted artist and craftsperson who collected and restored vintage radios and hi-fi equipment and possessed a passion for boats and sailing. Sam, Mary Olive and their sons sailed his classic wooden ketch the Valaque in several ocean sailing races including the Marion to Bermuda Race where they used traditional celestial navigation. Big band music and ballroom dancing were some of his many joys. On the dance floor, he could make any partner look like a star.

Sam is preceded in death by his beloved sister Elizabeth McCabe, her husband and his close friend Peter McCabe and his parents Lenora Stone and H. Taylor Stone. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Mary Olive Stone and their children, Lawre Stone (Dan Devine), Charles Stone (Tracey Stone), Joseph Stone and Thomas Stone (Alicia Henry), and grandchildren, Samuel Devine, Patrick Devine, Jessica Carullo (Matt Carullo), Erica Stone (Josh Nale) and Henry Stone. A memorial service will take place on June 10 at 11:00 am at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Westfield, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Parkinson Disease Association, Connecticut Chapter: P. O. Box 248, Shelton, CT 06484.

https://www.apdaparkinson.org/community/connecticut/