Harry Allen Stone

Harry Allen Stone (Harry, Al, Big Al, Stoney, Carpy) passed away on April 13, 2023 at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston after a hard fought battle against cancer. Harry was born to Constance Joan (Leiter) and the late Kenneth Verne Stone Sr. in Fitchburg, MA on February 17, 1958.  A middle child who constantly wanted to tag along with his older brother Kenny or tease his younger sister Rhonda, he developed a strong work ethic at an early age even rescuing an abused horse and earning money for the hay himself by getting the only job he could at his young age, which was picking apples at a local orchard.  

A 1977 graduate of Montachusett Regional Vocational School, he was in the Carpentry program and kept busy by playing Varsity Football, Ice Hockey, and Baseball.  Even walking from the school in Fitchburg to his home in Ashby so that he could continue to participate in the activities he loved since there was no late bus.  In 1994 he was part of the first group inducted into the Monty Tech Hall of Fame for all three sports.

He married his high school sweetheart and best friend Linda LaLonde soon after graduating high school and quickly began his own company H.A. Stone Carpentry, which later evolved into H.A. Stone Construction.  He built countless houses and became a jack of all trades where he learned how to do his own site work, run heavy equipment, and essentially do it all.  A long standing joke in the family was that if he couldn’t fix it that nobody could and he could often do so even by improvising with whatever he had.  He even once fixed a car’s heat shield in a hotel parking lot with a few hangers he picked up from Walmart while on a family road trip.  Towards the end of his career he achieved a lifelong dream of building a neighborhood of houses where he lived between his children, Michelle with her husband Tom with their kids Olivia (16) and Jack (13) and Allen with his wife Jen and their children Gavin (15) and Addison (11).  The family liked to think of their neighborhood as the Stone Compound where he enjoyed taking care of his yard, conversing with neighbors, and always planning his next project, which would always be done to his specifications even if (especially if) it was more complicated than it needed to be.  Harry was famous for saying, “If you are going to do it, you better do it right.”  Harry loved being so close to everyone and would often just drop in unexpectedly.  He believed in getting every bit he could from everyday and would often lovingly tease if he came to your house on an early morning about why you were still in bed.  

You always knew when Harry had entered a room for no other reason than for how loud he spoke, but please do not dare to think to tell him to “shush” or “quiet down” because nothing would get him more riled up than that.  He lived life on his own terms and would often embarrass his wife since he had no filter and would always just share what was on his mind.    Harry loved animals, the Bruins, bowling turned cornhole with his buddies, golfing, and skiing with his kids and grandkids.

Harry would often teach himself new things like when he decided to get his CDL license or when he decided to buy his first boat or when he decided that he knew how to install a pool.  While he was incredibly good at figuring things out by doing, he never quite mastered all the new digital technology and would often butt dial loved ones or attempt to use voice to text for speeches with often very funny results.  Harry was also a very patient teacher whether it was showing someone else the craft of his trade or how to drive a car, which he did for too many people to count.

Family was the accomplishment that he was most proud of.  He had such a love of his kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, and friends that would become family.  Harry gave the best hugs and you knew that he meant it and he was a strong believer that you always told those around you that you love them everyday.   After a forced retirement from his company he devoted himself to becoming a full time Papa driving Papa’s taxi around for pick ups, making tons of friends in the carlines, and always providing the preferred snack combinations for his grandchildren.  He was always willing to lend a hand, offer advice (even when not requested), tell it like it is, and do people favors, which essentially meant forcing them to do what he thought was the right thing to do, such as slowing down the drivers behind him.  Later in life, safety became a top priority and he was under the impression that no one was safer than him.

There are no words that truly capture a person who embraced everyone he met, always lived life to the fullest, and was just an all around wonderful human being.  Harry will be sorely missed, but surely left the world a better place than he found it.    

Harry leaves behind his wife Linda (LaLonde) after nearly 45 years of marriage, his daughter Michelle Kennedy-Stone (Thomas Kennedy) and his son Allen Stone (Jennifer Turchin Stone) all of Westminster, MA.  Papa also leaves behind grandchildren that he loved more than life.  He is also survived by his mother Connie (Leiter) and his siblings Kenneth Stone with his wife Cynthia of Leominster and his sister Rhonda Richard and her husband Tom of West Townsend MA and too many nieces and nephews to count.  Harry was predeceased by his father Kenneth Stone Sr.and his beloved dog Nilla who were as happy to see him as we were sad to say goodbye.

Calling hours at Lavery, Chartrand, and Alario funeral home will be held on Tuesday, April 18 between 5:00-7:00.  A Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, April 19,2023 at 11:00 AM at St. Edward the Confessor Parish 10 Church St., Westminster, MA with burial to follow in St. Bernard Cemetery in Fitchburg and a coalition at Monoosnock Country Club, Leominster MA to follow. 

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in his memory to the Relay For Life - Gardner, using this link :  https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR?fr_id=104259&pg=personal&px=16936902

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