Howard E. Stone

Northborough

Howard E. Stone, Jr, 83, known to all as “Howie”, passed away on March 5, 2019, at Marlborough Hospital after a short period of declining health. Howie was a son to the late Howard E. and Vivian (Boule) Stone and was a lifelong resident of Northborough.

As a boy Howie started working at the family owned Stone's Turkey Farm in Northborough. He was a partner in the former Stone Brothers Excavating Co. and operated Howie Stone Backhoe and Grader Service. In addition, Howie applied his construction knowledge during the time he served as a foreman for Northborough Highway Department and was a former member of the Northborough Solid Waste Committee, the Northborough Lions Club and the Northborough Fish and Game. He was a founder of the Northborough Youth Hockey League. Howie was proud to continue farming the family land and was a longtime Mass. Farm Bureau supporter.

Howie worked hard all his life, from a very young age on the family turkey farm right up to his retirement. In retirement he wanted to do what gave him the most pleasure, farming. He moved back to the family farm and raised beef cows as well as having other animals that he loved. There he enjoyed gardening, operating his heavy equipment, his John Deere tractor, haying and most of all hosting family holidays and any other reason to just get together.

He was a very humble man, kind, honest and caring. He lived his life in the most simplest of ways. He most enjoyed time spent with family and friends. Many weekends and vacations were spent doing the things he loved; camping, fishing, neighborhood clam bakes, cookouts, snowmobiling, skating parties, visits to Cape Cod and Lake Sunapee NH. He loved holidays at home, Sunday dinners and watching his favorites, the Bruins and Patriots.

Howie was many things to many people. He was a loving and devoted son; the steadfast husband of 62 years to Susanne R. (Forleo) Stone and a loving and supportive father to his three children, Brian Stone Sr. and his companion Holly Colt of Charlton, MA, Dianne (Stone) Cofer and husband Keith of Northborough, and Lisa (Stone) Brochu and her husband James of Upton. His greatest joy was being Pepere’ to his seven grandchildren, BJ, Michelle, Jennifer, Michael, Matthew, Lindsey and Danny, all of whom he was so proud of and adored. He was a good brother to his siblings, Carol Hamelin, Jane Blakeley, Robert Stone, Donna Deneen and Patricia Hoffman. Howie’s brother, George Stone, preceded him in death.

Friends are invited to a time of visitation with Howie’s family on Saturday, March 9th, from 11am -1pm, at Hays Funeral Home, 56 Main Street, Northborough. The Stone family respectfully request any memorial contributions to be directed to the Northborough Food Pantry, 37 Pierce St, Northborough, MA 01532 ( www.nfpantry.org) or the Northborough Lions Club, PO Box 436, Northborough, MA 01532.

He left us too soon, but he gave us a gift each day we had with him after he took ill. We know in our hearts his time to leave us was his own. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him.