Family
man, businessman, community leader and athlete Barry Stone passed
away peacefully on May 25, 2024, at the age of 89, with his family by
his side.
He
is survived by his loving wife, Carol; cherished daughter, Judy
Mallory, and her husband, Ben; and treasured grandsons, Mark and
Andrew Mallory. He was predeceased in 2016 by his devoted sister, Pat
Singer, and, tragically in 1984, by his adored son, Jeff. Barry was
forever sustained by his glorious memories of sharing Jeff’s
amazing 25 years.
Barry
will be remembered for his exceptional generosity, superb sense of
humor and legendary storytelling. He was a sought-after master of
ceremonies and public speaker who appeared frequently before local,
state and national organizations.
Born
in 1935, the son of Sidney and Helen Stone, Barry was raised in
Woodmere, Long Island, N.Y. He graduated from Woodmere High School in
1952 and was honored as a charter member of the school’s Alumni
Hall of Fame. He was a 1956 graduate of the University of Vermont,
where he was a varsity basketball player. He served as a 2nd
lieutenant in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, which included a stint
playing basketball on the Fort Monmouth, N.J., team.
Barry
and Carol were married in 1957 and celebrated their 66th wedding
anniversary this past year. Barry began his insurance business career
in New York City. After 12 years of commuting by train from his home
in Westchester County to his Manhattan office and then driving every
winter weekend with his family to Stowe, Vt., Barry, Carol, Jeff and
Judy moved to South Burlington in 1970. He initially continued his
life insurance career in Vermont through a valued affiliation with
the Pomerleau Agency and in 1980 established the Barry Stone Agency.
He achieved membership in Transamerica Life Insurance Company’s
Leading Producer’s Club and was elected chairman of Transamerica’s
1990 national sales conference in Monterey, Calif. He attained the
industry’s Life Member designation in the Million Dollar Round
Table.
In
the community, Barry served as chairman of the Chittenden County
United Way campaign, chairman of the board of the Stern Center for
Language and Learning, director of the Franklin Lamoille Bank,
director of Banknorth Investment Management Group, president of the
Burlington Rotary Club, and president of the Burlington Tennis Club,
where he was the 1987 recipient of the club’s Burt Kusserow/Ellen
Wilkins Award. In 1995 he received the MS Society Hope Award for
outstanding community service.
Barry
embraced a lifelong connection to his alma mater and served as
chairman of the UVM Regional Board, chairman of the UVM Athletic Hall
of Fame Selection Committee, chairman of the UVM Athletic Council,
founding executive committee member of the UVM Victory Club, member
of the UVM Foundation Leadership Council and key fundraiser for many
university projects. He was a recipient of the UVM Distinguished
Service Award and received the UVM Athletic Department Award for his
contributions on behalf of his beloved UVM men’s basketball team.
He was a member of several varsity basketball head coach search
committees and readily gave his physical, emotional and financial
support to generations of UVM basketball from the 1950s to the 2020s.
Barry’s
deep involvement in sports led to his appointment as Vermont state
chairman for the United States Olympic Committee. He later became
northeast regional chairman with a seat on the USOC National Finance
Committee. He cofounded the USOC Olympic Ski Challenge at Stowe,
which was recognized by the USOC as the most successful state-run
Olympic team fundraiser in the nation during the 1990s. Barry served
two terms as chairman of the state of Vermont Sports Hall of Fame
and, after his retirement from the board, was honored as the
recipient of the David K. Hakins Award and inducted into the state
hall of fame. Along with his other many leadership positions, Barry
served as chairman of the International Skiing History Association
and received its Special Achievement Award in 2011. He was a longtime
member of the National Voting Panel for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard
Hall of Fame and was a Vermont delegate to USTA New England in the
sport of tennis.
Barry
and Carol were loyal Stowe skiers but also skied throughout the U.S.,
Canada and Europe. Barry’s passion was untracked deep powder snow.
His favorite locale was British Columbia’s CMH network of
helicopter-accessible remote lodges, where he and his buddies each
skied over 1 million vertical feet. He made his final heli-skiing
descent on his 80th birthday but continued lift-served skiing until
age 85. In 2000, he raced in the National Senior Games in Lake
Placid, N.Y., and placed fourth in the age 65 and over giant slalom
and fifth in the slalom. He regularly raced in NASTAR and won gold
medals in almost every senior age bracket. One of his proudest race
results was in 1978, when Barry and his daughter, Judy, were bronze
medalists in the Equitable National Father-Daughter Ski Championships
in Snowbird, Utah.
Barry
was a competitive tennis player. He held a USTA New England senior
tournament ranking up to and including the age 80 and over division.
His highest ranking was No. 4 in New England age 60 and over singles.
In 1991 he was the singles silver medalist in the age 55 and over
division at the National Senior Games held in Syracuse, N.Y. In 2005
he represented the U.S. in master’s tennis at the Maccabiah Games
in Tel Aviv, Israel. During the 1960s, he won several championships
in the NYC suburbs and, beginning in the 1970s, numerous Burlington
Tennis Club championships in singles, doubles and in mixed doubles
with his favorite partner, Carol.
Barry
thrived doing group adventure planning. He and Carol loved skiing in
the West with family and friends, especially Jeff and Judy and, in
later years, grandsons Mark and Andrew, with whom he enjoyed a most
exceptional bond. Many friends have great memories of skiing or
bicycling with the Stones in the far reaches of the U.S., France,
Austria, Switzerland and Spain, or white-water rafting the Colorado
River in the Grand Canyon. Closer to home, they may have joined Barry
and Carol on their hikes in Stowe up the Hellbrook Trail to the
summit of Mount Mansfield or water-skiing at their favorite spots on
Lake Champlain.
Barry’s
family sincerely thanks Dr. Frank Landry for many years of
professional caring and personal friendship; numerous incredible
caregivers at the UVM Medical Center; and the kind and caring staff
at McClure Miller Respite House. If you are considering a donation in
Barry’s memory, the family would most appreciate a gift to the Jeff
Stone Memorial Fund, c/o the UVM Foundation, 411 Main St.,
Burlington, VT 05401. A memorial service will be held in early fall.
Arrangements
are in the care of Ready Funeral & Cremation Services. To send
online condolences, please visit readyfuneral.com.
This article appears in The Summer Preview 2024.