Fredric V. Stone, 86, of Portland, previously of Casco, Windham, Presque Isle, and Yarmouth, passed peacefully with children at his side on Feb. 16, 2023 at Seaside Skilled Rehabilitation Center.
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Fred was born in Portland on June 16, 1936, the eldest son of Fred Stone and Thelma Verrill. He graduated from Deering High School in 1954 and Kents Hill School in 1955 as a post-graduate, then earned a B.A. in Economics from Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) in 1959 and an M.A. in Asian History from Clark University (Worcester, MA) in 1963.
Throughout his life, Fred derived much enjoyment and energy from young people. This realization led him to pursue a fulfilling career in education that fit him to a T and spanned nearly five decades, during which he wore many hats. From 1963-1972, he served as a prep school dorm parent, teacher, coach (baseball and soccer) and administrator, first at Worcester Academy and then at North Yarmouth Academy (NYA). Deciding to try something different, Fred changed course from secondary to higher education, becoming the Director of Admissions at the University of Maine at Presque Isle (1972-1980) and at St. Joseph's College of Maine (1980-1997). Upon stepping away from Admissions, Fred served several years as Director of Intramurals & Recreation, then retired, and immediately un-retired for an additional eight years as an Admissions Representative and Athletics Event Manager.
Fred lived his lifelong passion for sports as a participant, coach, referee, scoreboard keeper, and spectator. A multi-sport athlete in high school, prep school and college, he excelled above all at baseball, and following his senior season at Wesleyan, was named to the 1959 Collegiate All-America 2nd team as a third baseman - at a time when that team was comprised of players selected from all of the small colleges and major universities combined. Of the many awards he received in his life, this was the one of which he most proud.
As an untrained, neophyte coach of soccer, a sport he never actually played, Fred directed some fantastic teams at NYA,
and in the early 1970's led his boys to two Maine state prep school titles and a New England prep school championship in 1971.
Upon hanging up his coach's clipboard in 1972, Fred picked up a referee's whistle in order to remain in contact with the world of team sports. He officiated baseball, basketball, softball and soccer, focusing primarily on the last two for nearly three decades. Fred reffed soccer throughout the State of Maine, and set up his Fall college admissions recruiting calendar so that his last high school visit of most days would coincide with a nearby college or high school soccer game at which he had been scheduled to officiate. He quickly developed a mastery of the inconspicuous quick-change from the front seat of his car in order to walk on to many a field prior to game time.
During his tenure at St. Joe's, Fred was a constant presence between the team benches while operating the scoreboard for both men's and women's basketball in Bernard Currier Gymnasium, affectionately known to its students and alumni as the Chamber of Horrors. Fred loved (nearly) every minute in the Chamber and for the remainder of his life, even after vascular dementia robbed much of his short-term memory, could still recall many of his favorite players (male and female) as well as entire starting lineups for some of St. Joe's greatest teams back to the 1980's.
Throughout his life, Fred loved watching his siblings, children and grandchildren compete. While other parents would yell and jeer at a referee, he kept mostly silent out of a sense of shared experience with and empathy for the person wielding the whistle. He was seldom, if ever, seen complaining about a blown call, whether in person or from his living room while watching the Red Sox, Celtics or Patriots (in that order).
Fred enjoyed the distinction of membership in three separate athletic Halls of Fame. First, he was elected to the Maine Baseball HoF in 1993 for his hitting prowess as an all-league player at Deering, Kents Hill and Wesleyan - and in the Portland Twilight League, a summer league primarily for college
players. Fred led the Twilight League in home runs twice, in 1954 upon graduating from high school and again in 1968, as a 32-year-old returning from a nine-year retirement.
He was inducted next into the St. Joseph's College Athletics HoF in 2011 for his years of service as the official scoreboard keeper in basketball and for many other efforts in support of both student-athletes as well as the entire student body. Among them was his drive to reclaim a small body of water located at an outer edge of the campus, unused for nearly two decades, surrounded by a tangle of trees, brush and undergrowth, and unknown to current students at the time. Fred spent many winter lunch breaks cross-country skiing or snowmobiling to the frozen water's edge and taking down branches, limbs and trees with an axe or other tools transported in his backpack. He eventually enlisted student assistance, and eventually Stone Pond was officially named in his honor.
Thirdly and finally, Fred was inducted into Wesleyan's Baseball Wall of Fame in 2014, as a member of the Wall's inaugural class, an honor that he eventually shared in common with two of his '59 teammates and long-time friends.
Fred dearly loved his large, loud and boisterous family with its six siblings, 30 nieces/nephews, four children, 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He also loved being in and around water, and was eternally grateful that he could combine these loves while "living the dream" in a lakefront home on Thomas Pond in Casco (1998-2010). Fred loved to swim, kayak, and take all-comers tubing behind his pontoon boat. Fred and Marcia hosted countless cookouts for family members and friends, helping create truly fond memories for several generations of attendees.
Until a stroke in 2010 at the age of 74, while doing his daily morning crunches on the morning of his annual swim across the lake with a kayak spotter, Fred was always among the fittest people of his cohort. To keep in shape for reffing, he joined the running boom in the early 70's and continued to walk, play golf, hike and cross-country ski into his own 70's.
Fred was predeceased by his beloved wife of 58 years, Marcia B. Stone. Survivors include children Ted (Lynn) Stone, Sue (Kevin) Holloran, Jim (Paula) Stone, Missy (Scott) Labrecque; grandchildren Brie (Jeff) Linscott, Nate (Mikaela) Holloran, Josh, Justin and Jeremy Labrecque, Zach and Griffin Stone, Jacob Stone, Sam (TJ) Bell, Julia (Michael) Thomas, Andrew (Rachel) Stewart; great-grandchildren Tanner and Max Linscott and Jolene Holloran. Additional survivors include siblings Doug (Alice) Stone, Ken (Jennifer) Stone, Ron (Ginny) Stone; Dorna Stone and Carole (Pierre) Girard. Fred was also predeceased by his eldest sister Judith Stone.
The family would like to extend special thanks and appreciation to the wonderful caregivers at Fred's final two residences, Seaside Skilled Rehabilitation Center for the past three years and Birchwoods at Canco for the previous four. Fred frequently communicated to family his affection for his many favorites among the nursing staffs.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a charity that is close to your own heart in honor of Fred.
Visiting hours will be held on Monday Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St., Portland with memorial service to follow immediately at the same venue.
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