William Francis Stoner, M.B.A. died peacefully at Sunol Creek Memory Care, after a long struggle with dementia. Until his condition prevented him from doing so, Bill cheerfully went out of his way to offer a helping hand and companionship whenever he saw someone in need. The best way to honor his memory will be to do something nice for someone who can't pay you back.
Bill was born in the small Iowa town of Rolfe, near Powhatan (Pocahontas County). He was the eldest of seven children born to Merrill Stoner, a carpenter, and Dorothy Tiernan Stoner, a schoolteacher. His family moved to Lancaster, California, in his early teens. Bill served for three years in the U.S. Army in the artillery before attending Pierce College. There he met Barbara Tift, who would become his wife of 59 years. After completing undergraduate and graduate studies at San Jose State University, Bill became an accountant for Shell Chemical in Pittsburgh, California, and then entered the field of real estate.
In 1976, Bill and Barb moved from the suburbs of Concord, CA, to rural Agua Dulce, in the high desert of northeastern Los Angeles County. There they raised their four daughters and were active community members for nearly 40 years. Bill joined the LA County Office of Education as a Senior Accountant, amassing an impressive collection of abandoned baseball caps during his long freeway commutes.
In 2014, Bill and Barb moved to Manteca, CA, where Bill became a member of the Manteca Garden Club and a presence at meetings of the Manteca Readers Book Club and the Mayor's Committee for the Arts.
Bill is survived by his devoted wife, Barbara; his "four lovely daughters," as he proudly referred to them (Veronica Fisher of Lancaster, CA, Tamera Arghavani [Reza] of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Julie Ann Sih [Gil] of San Diego, CA, and Chantal Stoner [Jai Nair] of Dublin, CA; and his eight grandchildren (Miriam, Jennifer, Daniel, Sarah, Caroline, Sophia, Annavi, and Aria).
Following Bill's funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Friday, March 3, at St. Anthony's Catholic Church, (505 E. North St., Manteca), a celebration of his life will be held at Chez Shari (located at Manteca Park Golf Course, 305 N. Union Rd.). Interment will be at 11 a.m. Monday, March 6, at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery (32053 W. McCabe Rd., Santa Nella).
Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin
Saturday, February 25, 2023
