Bill Stoner's Obituary
Services for Bill Stoner, a man who loved his family, his community and the people encountered on his life journey, will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 28 in Mountain View Lutheran Church, 3505 122nd Ave. E., Edgewood. A celebration will follow at the Western Washington Fairgrounds, and everyone who knew Bill is encouraged to attend. Bill, who was born in Tacoma on Dec. 11, 1928, to Sanford Alexander Stoner and Reva Gertrude Wolcott, died at home June 22. Reared in Puyallup, he loved his family and community passionately. The Western Washington Fair, golf, running, bicycling and Husky football also ranked high on his list of passions. He spent much of his adult life in elected office, viewing that as a way to serve his community. The young University of Washington graduate met and fell in love with a redhead, Laura Gray, he saw playing tennis on the courts at Puyallup High School, from which he graduated in 1946 and received the Walker Award, the highest honor for a graduating senior. He was proud to be a Puyallup Viking and a Husky. While serving in the Army, he came home from Georgia in December 1951 to marry his "Redhead." The following years blessed them with two sons and a daughter.Besides Laura, Bill's immediate family consists of San Stoner (Lis) and grandsons Brendan and San, Kerry Stoner (Mark Piper), Shawn Stoner (Pam) and granddaughter, "Papa's Little Rowyn," and his brother Dick (Elyse).Bill and Laura's children have wonderful memories of the times he spent with them individually, including bicycle excursions to Portland or San Francisco. Bill loved bicycling and also long-distance running, especially marathons in Honolulu, Reno and Seaside, OR.Bill's list of jobs showed his dedication to providing for his family. When he was a grade school teacher, he purchased a small janitorial business. That meant cleaning offices at night and teaching school during the day. Bill and Laura operated Stoner's Janitorial Services for 32 years. In earlier years following the death of his father, he worked with his mother and brother at Stoner's Sporting Goods.As a youth and young adult, Bill worked at the Puyallup Fair in several positions, including the grandstand and the treasury. He was eventually invited to join the Fair board of directors and served 39 years, holding many positions on the board, including president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. In January 2005 he moved to emeritus status but remained active on the Fair Board. He loved the Fair and was committed, working with his fellow board members and the management, to making it as enjoyable as possible for families. An endowment scholarship was started in Stoner's name nine years ago. More than $10, 000 has been awarded to recipients from this endowment to date. On the last Friday in June for the past two years (the latter two days after his death), the Bill Stoner Scholarship Classic has been held at the High Cedars Golf Course in Orting, raising more than $5, 000 for the endowment. Bill followed in his father footsteps and ran successfully for the City of Puyallup elected office. He served 23 years as a councilman and mayor, the latter for two terms. He also served 11 years on the Pierce County Council and represented the council on the Pierce Transit Board and on regional governmental boards. He was president of the Washington State Association of Counties in 1991-92. His community service outside of government took many forms. He was a longtime Puyallup Kiwanis Club member and president. He participated in numerous community campaigns, including those to build the War Memorial Recreation Center at Grayland Park, DeCoursey Park, Bradley Park and the Puyallup High School swimming pool.The family asks that any memorial gifts be directed to the Bill Stoner Scholarship Endowment, c/o Western Washington Fair, PO Box 430, Puyallup, WA 98371-0162.
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