Biography of John W. Stone, Jr. ; Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Submitted By N.O.V.A., July 2005 Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ************************************************ West Bank Oil Pioneer John Stone Dies At 87 John W. Stone Sr., a West Bank pioneer in the oil business and former member of the Jefferson Parish Police Jury, died Monday of a heart attack at West Jefferson Medical Center. He was 87. Mr. Stone, the founder and former president of John W. Stone Oil Distributors Inc., was a lifelong resident of Gretna. He was a former president pro-tem of the Police Jury, the predecessor of the Jefferson Parish Council. He also was a former chairman of the Mississippi River Bridge Authority and a charter member and former president of the Harvey Canal Industrial Association. Mr. Stone founded his business in 1946 after buying two government surplus trucks and hand-welding oil tanks to them. Mitch Martin, who has been part of the marine services industry since 1959, said Mr. Stone's was the first fuel barge business based on the West Bank. He described Mr. Stone as a pioneer among local businesses in operating fuel barges in waterways other than the Mississippi River. Stone Oil employees said the company founder lived for his business. "He was a very strong man, very driven. He was all business, all work," one worker said. "He devoted his life to the business." "We have a lot of employee longevity," said another workers, who added that there is a strong sense of loyalty at the company. "Some families are in their fourth generation as Stone employees." Mr. Stone was a parishioner of St. Anthony Catholic Church. Survivors include his wife, Olga Gerrets Stone; a son, John W. Stone Jr.; three daughters, Deborah Stone Owen, Olga Stone Servay and Marilyn Stone Young; a sister, Marie Stone Quiroz; and 10 grandchildren. A Mass will be said Thursday at 11 a.m. at St. Anthony Catholic Church at Burmaster and Franklin streets in Gretna. Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. and Thursday from 7:30 to 10:45 a.m. at Mothe Funeral Home, 2100 West Bank Expressway, Harvey. Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park in Gretna. Source: Times Picayune 01- 29-1997