George Stone Jr., a longtime Brattleboro resident and World War II veteran, passed away peacefully at his home on Friday, February 6, at the age of 101. Known to many as “Stoney,” he lived a life defined by service, hard work, and quiet integrity.

George was born on May 31, 1924, in Rumford, Maine, the beloved son of George L. Stone Sr. and Millie (Sawyer) Stone. He was educated in a one-room schoolhouse in Pownal, Maine, and went on to graduate from North Yarmouth Academy in Yarmouth, Maine. He spent most of his youth in Pownal, where he learned the value of hard work at an early age while helping on his grandmother’s 200-acre farm. At just 15 years old, he earned his driver’s license and spent countless hours driving his cherished 1931 Ford through the backwoods of Maine.

In 1943, George was inducted into the U.S. Army at Fort Devens. He served as a combat engineer with the 623rd Light Engineer Company, landing on Omaha Beach in Normandy on D-Day plus 16, operating a D7 armored cab Caterpillar. His unit was attached to the U.S. Third Army under General George Patton, where they constructed roads, airfields, and military installations, removed roadblocks, and cleared paths for Allied convoys.

For his service during the Battles of St. Lô and Metz, France, George was awarded the French Medal of Honor, the Croix de Guerre, and the Bronze Star. His additional decorations included five Battle Stars for the Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe campaigns, as well as the Good Conduct Medal.

Following his military service, George began his career with Lane Construction Corporation in 1946, helping build the Maine Turnpike. On New Year’s Day in 1949, he married his beloved wife, Estelle Campbell, in Biddeford, Maine. They were married for 37 years until her passing in 1986. Together, they lived and traveled throughout New England while George worked for Lane Construction, including 13 years in the Washington, D.C. area and eventually settled permanently in Brattleboro in 1957 during the construction of Interstate 91.

George was a member of the American Legion Post 5 in Brattleboro, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 98, the 623rd Light Engineers Association, and the Masonic Brattleboro Lodge No. 102. He will be remembered for his soft-spoken manner, strong work ethic, patriotism, and unwavering integrity.

George was predeceased by his wife Estelle, his brother Milton Stone, and his sister Thelma Chamberlain.

He is survived by his son, George Stone III of Vernon; his daughters, Valerie Gragen and her husband Raymond of Clarendon, and Janice Perreault and her husband John of Brattleboro; his grandchildren, Jason Gragen of Dummerston, Ryan Gragen and his wife Jennifer of Charlton, Massachusetts, Debbie Gragen and her fiance Jeff of Rutland, Kimberly Kunkle and her husband Stephen of Vernon, Lindsey Seymour and her husband Greg of Keene, New Hampshire, and John, Monique, and Blaine Perreault of Brattleboro; and his great-grandchildren, Deaglan and Kingsley Gragen, Bowen and Molly Kunkle, and Bentley and Bailey Seymour. He is also survived by several cousins, two nieces, a nephew, and his dear friend Polly Thurber of Guilford.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on May 20, 2026 at 11 am at St. Michael's Church located at 47 Walnut St. Brattleboro, VT. Burial with Army Military honors will follow at St. Michael's Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, www.stjude.org or 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105.