ELBERTA H. STONE

STONE, Elberta H. of DORCHESTER, passed April 13th at the age of 101.  Daughter of the late William E. and Alice (Francisco) Hayes.  Beloved wife of the late Richard H. Stone. 

A "Celebration of Life" will take place on SATURDAY,Aprill 22, 2023 at the St John's Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plain (1 Roanoke Ave) at 1 pm. All are invited.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Elberta H. Stone to Sportsmen's Tennis and Enrichment Center in Dorchester, MA at https://.sportsmenstennis.org/.donation-form/

Elberta Stone (nee Hayes) was born to William Elbert and Alice Hayes on March 20, 1922 in Montclair, New Jersey. Mrs. Stone attended Glenfield School and then Montclair High School, graduating in 1940.  Mrs. Stone attended Morgan State University where she majored in history and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1944. After college she worked as a teacher in Baltimore. However, she soon realized that her passion was instilling an excitement about reading in children, and embarked on a career as a children’s librarian. She began her career at the Brooklyn Public Library while attending graduate school at Columbia University. When Rutgers launched their graduate library program, she transferred and earned her Master's of Library Science from Rutgers University in 1956. After working in the public libraries in West Orange and Newark, NJ, Mrs. Stone began a career in the public school system in Newark, as the school librarian at Cleveland Elementary School. There she inspired generations of children to love reading, and to see reading as a gateway to a larger world, both in their imagination and in their lives. Mrs. Stone was a gifted storyteller, and her ability to bring stories to life was one of the ways that she got children excited about books. She served as a Language Arts Specialist who gave workshops throughout the state of New Jersey on how to enhance the school performance of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Mrs. Stone believed that enhancing children’s self-esteem was a critical aspect of promoting their reading skills and school performance. To this end, she wrote and published a children’s book entitled “I’m Glad I’m Me” in 1971. After more than 35 years as a children’s librarian, Mrs. Stone retired in 1990.  Mrs. Stone was married to Richard H. Stone, also a lifelong resident of Montclair, New Jersey for 62 years, until his death in 2012. They enjoyed entertaining and were well known for their barbecues which showcased Mr. Stone’s amazing skills on the grill and Mrs. Stone’s talents as a cook, hostess, and engaging and witty storyteller. Mrs. Stone was very involved in the civic life of Montclair. She was the church treasurer at Trinity Episcopal Church for more than 20 years, and helped establish several scholarships recognizing academic achievement in African American youth. Mrs. Stone served on the Board of Directors of the Montclair Public Library for nearly a decade and was an active member of the Board which oversaw the substantial renovation and expansion of the Montclair Public Library.  She was very involved in the Auxiliary of the American Legion, and served as an officer of that organization for many years.  Mrs. Stone had one daughter, Dr. Valerie E. Stone who is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a physician and vice chair of the Department of Medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Mrs. Stone moved to Boston 6 years ago to be close to her daughter and her family. She lived at Standish Village Assisted Living during these 6 years where she made a wonderful new set of lifelong friends.  Mrs. Stone leaves an incredible legacy and her daughter, Dr. Valerie Stone, her daughter-in-law, Dr. Kathryn Hall, her granddaughter Dominique Hall Trataros and her husband Alexander Trataros, as well as a host of extended family, including many nieces and nephews, and numerous devoted friends across the country and in Jamaica.

Arrangements by Mann Rodgers Funeral Home, Jamaica Plain.

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