Sewickley businessman Jay Stoner cultivated in gardening, arts

ay Stoner's family and friends knew him as a sweet, gentle man, who also was wise, patient and knowledgeable.

As one of the top men in the field of coatings, his global licensees regarded Mr. Stoner as a businessman who got the job done, and they treated him royally on his business trips to their countries.

In the years following Valspar's acquisition of Stoner-Mudge, Mr. Stoner headed international operations for Valspar, one of the largest global coatings manufacturers in the world.

John T. "Jay" Stoner of Sewickley died on Feb. 15, 2011, in his home. He was 79.

Born and raised in Sewickley, John Stoner was one of four children in the family of Frank R. Jr. and Jane Stoner.

While attending Sewickley Academy and St. Andrews School in Middletown, Del., Mr. Stoner participated in soccer, football and tennis. He became a member of the diving team when he enrolled at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y.

In 1953, following graduation from Colgate with a business degree and a minor in English, Mr. Stoner married Elizabeth Alexander, prior to enlisting in the Navy during the Korean War.

In the years following his discharge from the military, Mr. Stoner went to work with his father at Stoner-Mudge, a North Side company that supplied coatings to major can manufacturers.

His wife, Gail Suender Stoner, whom he married in 1977, recalled her husband's love of gardening -- both flowers and vegetables -- his interest in birds and spending time on the Stoner family farm near New Wilmington, Lawrence County.

"It was a working farm, and Jay and I worked it," Gail Stoner said. "We also enjoyed the time we spent on our summer vacations on Sesega Island on Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada.

"My husband also appreciated the arts. He had an interest in paintings, music, the symphony and was a connoisseur of Oriental rugs."

Mr. Stoner was a member of the Presbyterian Church, Sewickley and Allegheny Country Club in Sewickley Heights.

In addition to his wife, Gail, Mr. Stoner is survived by his former wife, Elizabeth Alexander Stoner of Delaware; his children, Jane Stoner of California, Richard "Dick" Stoner of Sherborn, Mass., and Joel Stoner of California; his stepchildren, Sarah Morrison of Newport, R.I., Stephanie Veenis of Fox Chapel, James J. Morrison of Atlanta and John S. Morrison of Bowling Green, Ky.; his sister, Barbara Kittel of Tucson; 14 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Frank Stoner III, and a sister, Doris Campbell.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 2, 2011, at 11 a.m. in The Presbyterian Church, Sewickley, 414 Grant St.