James Herbert "Jim" Stone

Jim was born on August 25, 1933 in Buttonwillow, CA to Herbert and Viola Stone. At age three he moved with his parents from California to Michigan, then to several other states around the country for a period of years following his father's work. In 1945 at age twelve he and his family moved to Mesa, AZ where they remained the rest of his parents' lives. He attended Franklin Grade School and Mesa High School graduating in 1952. Following graduation he went to work at the American Helicopter Co. in Mesa building pulse jet engines and test equipment, remaining there for two years before the plant closed. In 1954 he began working at Air Research Mfg. Co. in Phoenix, starting out on the design board, then becoming a contract administrator in the overhaul shop and ending his 42 year career there in 1996 as a customer support administrator. During his years at Air Research he attended night school at Phoenix College and later ASU where he studied engineering. In 1955 he married Mary Evelyn Keltner at Central Methodist Church in Phoenix. One son, Donald Allen was born nine years later in 1964.

Jim's two main passions in life were music and aviation. He was blessed with a beautiful tenor voice and started singing and acting in school productions early on. He was a member of the Phoenix Light Opera Co. in Phoenix for several years participating in many musical productions. He also participated in musical and theater productions at the Phoenix Little Theater, Scottsdale Players and at Central Methodist Church in Phoenix and Grace Community Church in Tempe. In 1956 he joined the Orpheus Male Chorus in Phoenix and traveled with them to Europe in 1958 where they sang at the International Song Festival in Vienna, and for other musical events in Shannon, Ireland; Cologne, Munich, Salzburg, Germany, and Paris, France. The Orpheus Club was one of only three U.S. groups to be invited to sing at the song festival in Vienna. He was a soloist for many years in the Central Methodist Church choir in Phoenix as well as at Grace Community Church in Tempe, and for the past 30 years at St. Matthew Methodist Church in Mesa.

Besides working in the aviation industry for 44 years, Jim was a private pilot with an instrument and instructor's rating as well as being an aircraft mechanic. He owned and flew a four place Piper Pacer for a number of years and later a Cessna 170 for 35 years. He was a member of several aviation organizations such as AOPA, EAA, Arizona Pilots Association, and both the local and National Antique Airplane Association.

Jim passed away peacefully on May 24, 2019 leaving his wife of 64 years, Mary; son, Don; and several cousins in Indiana. Services will be held on Monday, June 3 beginning with visitation at 10:00 AM, followed by a funeral service at 11:00 AM all at St. Matthew United Methodist Church, 2540 W Baseline Rd. Mesa, AZ 85202. Arrangements by Green Acres Mortuary & Cemetery of Scottsdale, AZ.