Sorry to hear about Bill  Stone's  passing. I  worked with him at ATT in downtown Chicago. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. May his soul rest in peace forever. I Hope all is well with his family and will say prayers for him this evening. 

Anthony Joseph Lucchese

I have just learned of Bill's passing while attending a DAV meeting on Friday. I had served with Bill with Co B 1st/106th Aviation flying from MDW to where ever our missions would take us. During the Mississippi floods of 1993 Bill and I flew several missions together along the Mississippi from Quincey, IL. Our UH-1H Huey was located at the VA Quincey home where we flew to where ever we could provide assistance usually under inclement weather conditions. One mission in particular involved an  individual who had caused problems at a Bar, and suffered the consequences for his actions. It was  less than ideal weather at night, low clouds, and limited visibility. Under Bill's direction which keep our aircraft away from powerlines and trees. We managed to medivac the injured individual to a medical facility. Since both of us were Vietnam helicopter Pilots the mission was successfully accomplished. One thing is when it came flying he was always prepared. Bill was a great helicopter Aviator and a friend that will be  truly missed.

I worked with Bill At AT&T for 25 years until I got laid off. We kept in touch and in 2004 I came back to AT&T on contract based on his advice. Eventually we both retired but we always kept in touch. He was my son’s Aviation merit badge counselor.  My wife who was an instructor at AT&T, taught Bill in a few classes and he helped her with some of the technology she was not very familiar with . He was at  my wife’s retirement party in 2019 when she finally retired from AT&T.  I always looked forward to his calls , we talked about getting together when things settled down. I will miss him. 
In sympathy 
Mike Nahorniak and Mary Rose

Asking our LORD to comfort Bill's family & friends. It was a blessing 
to know Bill from the pistol clubs & gun shop.

My thoughts and prayers for your family Bill. Thank you for your friendship and dedicated service to this country. Rest in eternal Peace, you are in God's hands now. Sorry I am unable to attend the services due to illness.

I could not have asked for a better father-in-law or grandfather for my girls. Mr. Stone was the person who would bend over backwards for his family and I am blessed to have been and continued to be a part of it. He would drop everything to help us if we needed it. He did everything he possibly could to support us in any way we needed it. Countless moves, driving across the country taking the kids for a week at a time to give us time as a couple. I always knew he would be there to help without ever having to ask and don’t you dare reach for that check if we went out to eat. The way he treated and cared for his mother was nothing less than admirable and he never showed anything other than respect for his wife. He was the kind of man to look up to. I am truly blessed to have had him in my life .

Served with Bill in the IL ARNG. Loved Bill! Such a kind and gentle man.

Bill was a good friend to me. We worked together side by side for many of our 30 years together and have kept in contact after retiring.  He always tried to lift me up when I was down. He called me his raven haired beauty and I looked like a wreck.    
I remember his national guard duty and him rescuing people in his helicopter during floods. I thought he was a hero.  He loved the guard and really hated having to retire from there.
He loved his family.  He was really a good man.   But he was something else.  I complained to him about my hair like he was my girlfriend that I wished someone would cut it.  He took an enormous black scissor out of his desk and came up behind me and lopped a piece off the top of my head, and when I screamed he said well you wanted somebody to cut it!   That’s Bill.

So where do I begin? Bill was a true patriot from his Vietnam service to his decades with the Maddogs. He may have seemed gruff to those who didn’t know him but he was a softie at heart. His training programs helped prepare us for our first combat tour in OIF2. More than once he set me straight in his tough but quiet way. He was a consummate professional,  a true mentor, and my friend. Bill cared so deeply about the unit, about each of us and about service to our nation. As the saying goes “To those who have fought for it, freedom has a flavor that the protected will never know.”  Bill knew the full flavor and cost of freedom.  Here’s to an eternal mission with good tailwinds, no caution lights, an aircraft that can be used again at the end of it, and a cold one w the crew afterwards. I love you Bill!

OBITUARY

William L Stone

September 12, 1948 – December 23, 2023

Blake-Lamb Funeral Home

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