Obituaries

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of William “Bill” Stone on Dec 22, 2025, at age 77 following his illness with prostate cancer. He was born in Lynches River to the late Jane and Tommy Stone. He was the second child of eight and was raised in the company of three brothers, four sisters and many cousins. He moved to Halifax in his teens to start his adult life and often reminisced of the wild antics he got into as a young man. It was in Halifax that he met the love of his life Christine “Chris” Murphy. They fell in love, married and had two children, Robert and Joanne. He returned to Cape Breton in his early twenties and eventually built his own home in Corbett’s Cove, where he lived until he was no longer able to do so. For the last year and a half of his life he and Chris resided with their daughter and her family in Stillwater Lake. Here he was grateful that he could remain with his wife and spend time with his children and grandchildren, but he longed to be back home.

He developed severe and unstable diabetes in his late teens which hampered his ability to maintain regular working hours. Although he eventually required a disability pension due to his illness, he worked extremely hard whenever and however he could to supplement this income and provide for his family. He worked many jobs in his life, but his main occupation was cutting firewood. Working for himself allowed him to take the breaks he needed to eat and rest to manage his diabetes. He was known to be very mechanically inclined and became a jack-of-all-trades being able to take apart just about any mechanical object, repair it and put it back together. Always known around town as the man to call when things broke down, he was very good to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. He was also a member of the Catholic Church and The Knights of Columbus where he participated in community volunteer events.

Like many members of his family, he was naturally gifted musically. At a young age, he taught himself to play the guitar, and it quickly became a lifelong passion. He spent countless hours playing and found great joy in music throughout his life. Music was always at the heart of who he was, and nothing compared to a traditional Cape Breton kitchen party, where many cherished moments were spent making music and sharing laughter with family and friends. As his illness progressed, one of the things he missed most was being able to pick up his guitar and play. He also had a deep love of nature and was truly at home in the woods. He often said that this was why he enjoyed cutting wood and why he loved his home in Corbett’s Cove. He had knowledge about natural plant remedies, knew which wild plants could be safely consumed and loved to garden. In his younger years, he loved fishing and hunting, and fresh fish and wild game were often enjoyed at his family table.

He was a social person who always welcomed a visit with family and friends, right up to the day before he passed. Blessed with the “gift of gab,” he could strike up a conversation with just about anyone. He was well known for speaking his mind, saying exactly what he thought. Family and friends often joked that “his mouth would engage before his brain was in gear”, he even had a plaque with this very saying.

He was predeceased by his parents Elizabeth “Jane” Stone (nee Martell) and Thomas “Tommy” George Stone. He is survived by Chris, his loving wife of 58 years, his son Robert Stone (Tina), his daughter, Joanne Waters (Dave), his seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren . He is also survived by siblings Victor Stone (Lynn), Mary Plummer, Shirley Martin (Al), Linda Murphy (Dave), Junior Stone (Helen), Raymond Stone (Alana) and Rosie Sampson (Darrell). He also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

A funeral mass will be held Friday July 24, 2026 at 2pm at the St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 9785 Grenville St., St. Peter’s, NS. Reception to follow at the Lions Community Hall, 39 Lions Ave, St. Peter’s, NS. In honour of Bill memory's, donations can be made to a charity of your choice.