Floyd C. Stone
Floyd C. Stone, age 74, of Burr Ridge. Beloved husband of Kathleen Stone for a wonderful 53 years. Loving father of James (Michelle) Stone. Floyd was preceded in death by his parents, Floyd and Hilda Stone and sister, Daryl. Floyd lived a life-long passion for global travel through his successful career in logistics and supply chain and his extensive world-wide adventurous excursions. Family and friends are invited to meet directly at St. Cletus Church, 600 W. 55th St, LaGrange on Monday, September 28th for 10:00am Funeral Mass. Group limit of 80 is set and family has partnered with the church to establish and enforce strict social distancing guidelines. Masks required. All guests must register for Mass at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DA9AB2CA6FECE9-floyd by Friday, September 25th. Please arrive a few minutes early to check in. Unregistered guests will not be permitted into the church. A graveside service will follow at Bronswood Cemetery, 3805 Madison St., Oak Brook at 11:30am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice in Floyd’s memory. Arrangements entrusted to Hallowell & James Funeral Home, Countryside at 708-352-6500.
Dear Stone Family- Floyd talked about you all the time, loved you so much. Floyd was a good person. I worked with Floyd and would often attend the American Spice Trade Association Meetings with him. He was passionate about doing his work to the highest standards, and was always available to offer advice and encouragement. I remember Floyd coaching me as to how important it was to represent our company values in the industry. He was a wonderful mentor to me, encouraging me to move my career forward and to never feel guilty about putting family first. He was very well respected at work and in the industry. Even though we had different agendas during these meetings, he always would find me and make sure I had someone to eat lunch or dinner with, in realty I knew he was ensuring that I was safe while away from home:). Blessing to you all.
What a wonderful man and genuine human being. I still remember the last time I saw him a few years ago with the same happy smile as always. He was a blessing to all who knew him. Thank you family for sharing him with us at Griffith.
Thank you for your beautiful reflections about Floyd. He was a very special guy and his loss for us is profound.
Love and prayers for you and your family! Thank you for writing this beautiful tribute! He is loved!
Eulogy: In Memoriam…My Dad
On Monday, September 21, I received the call that no son ever wants to hear. My Dad had suddenly and unexpectedly died. The shock, disbelief and unconscionable anguish that comes with that call is inexplicable to anyone who has not had to bear it.
The depth of my relationship with My Dad made both of us proud. As adults, we shared mutual respect, helped one another through professional and personal challenges, and cheered each other on in EVERY endeavor. We spoke via phone several times per week, and had the opportunity to travel together to historical places in Europe on more than one occasion. But how did we get to be so close?
It became obvious as an infant that My Dad loved the idea of being a father. In fact, it was one of the things he was most proud of, and he embraced the responsibility with open arms. Growing up, he was a very involved father. He had made a commitment to be a “present” Dad from Day 1, and whether it was co-coaching in basketball or soccer, catching flights to attend games in the middle of winter, helping with projects or assignments, or just providing his wisdom, he was a terrific father, an incredibly hard worker, thoughtful, generous and giving. He was tough but fair, and commanded respect. Early on he instilled in me two critical philosophies:
1. Whatever you decide to do, commit and give it 100%. If you’ve given your total commitment, regardless of the result, you’ll never look back and regret.
2. Stand by your commitments. When you say you will do something, do it, and keep your word. It’s a reflection of your character.
During my time in High School he was laid off from his manager position @ National Can Corporation, and it hit him hard. Seeing My Dad reeling from the pain of a job loss, and the emotional caldron of doubt, was painful. But My Dad was tenacious and determined, and after some soul searching including a trip to Israel with his best friend Jim, began working in consulting as he started his next phase of his professional life.
As I progressed in my career, so did My Dad. He took on larger consulting assignments, traveled to exotic locales like India, then found Griffith Laboratories, and it all fell into place for him. 17 years, Director of Global Supply Chain, one of the most respected people in the company, had the ear of the owner, Mr. Griffith, and continually found ways to save the company money on logistics to enable improved profitability. He built a following of people who respected his honesty, his work ethic and his insight. When he eventually retired in 2014, he had accomplished a ton in his career both in deliverables and results as well as his ability to influence, teach and mentor others. He had become part of the family with Griffith.
Here’s the thing about My Dad. He was a self-made man. He started working when he was thirteen, loaded trucks for years as a teenager, married my Mom when he was 20, put himself through college while having a son, taught himself how to invest, used his common sense vs. his “book smarts”, and made himself a success. He was never happier than when he was traveling, though. He often reminisced about our first trip to Hong Kong, Bangkok (Thailand) and Singapore, where we first went to Asia as a family. He had been planning that trip for years and it was the greatest trip of his life. Later in life, in the last 5 years, he proudly recalled his solo trip to Poland, time spent walking through Berlin, and countless train trips through Europe. Deep inside, he had the heart of an adventurer, and travel was his escape.
So, what was he like being My Dad? Supportive, Firm, Loving, Encouraging, Attentive, Invested. All of those things. But to this young man, he was my Hero. He modeled what a good man would do, was fiercely loyal to the people most dear to him, cared about people and always found time to help others. He admired successful people with character – Bart Starr, Jeff Gordon, W. Clemons Stone, Jackie Stewart – and he valued people with integrity, holding himself to the highest standard. He would literally do anything for us as a family. He would be the first one to say he wasn’t perfect, but none of us are! And that didn’t matter, because I had the distinct privilege to be influenced and guided by two of the most loving parents anyone could ever ask for, and even though my Dad’s childhood was rough, he made it a priority to be a good father. And he was excellent. I could not have asked for anything more from you, Dad. You guided me and encouraged me as a child, gave me space but kept me on-track as an adolescent, encouraged me and supported me as I became an adult, and became more than just My Dad. We were male best friends.
I went back and read several of the Birthday and Christmas Cards My Dad sent me over the years, and he often would say how proud he was of me. That means more than you know. And you know what? I’m proud of you, too. The fact that I made you proud is a reflection of how good of a person you were, because you were my role model and my Hero. I just tried to be like you.
I am in complete disbelief that I’m having to say good-bye to you. I told you many times I loved you, and I meant every word, every time. I can never thank you enough for all you did to raise, encourage and support me. All I can do is try to continue making you proud of me by being my authentic self, and modeling after my Hero, my Friend, and one of my Biggest Fans…My Dad.
James Stone
September 28, 2020
My deepest condolences and sympathies upon hearing the loss of Floyd . I worked with Floyd at Griffith for many years . I always enjoyed his energy and zest for life . He was a good man .