Obituary of Robert Delmar Stone

SLINGERLANDS – Robert D. (Bob) Stone died at home on May 1, 2016, after a brief illness. A native of Binghamton, New York, Bob attended the Binghamton public schools and graduated from Hamilton College (A.B.) in 1943. Following military service from 1942-1946, including combat duty in the European theatre of operations, he graduated from Columbia Law School (L.L.B. and J.D.) in 1948. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by the trustees of Excelsior College in 2005. Bob practiced law in Binghamton from 1949-1958 and was admitted to practice in all the State and Federal courts in the state of New York and in the United States Supreme Court. He joined the administration of Governor Nelson Rockefeller on January 1, 1959, as Executive Deputy Secretary of State, and served thereafter as Deputy Commissioner of General Services and as Appointments Officer to the Governor. In 1968 he became Counsel and Deputy Commissioner for Legal Affairs in the New York State Education Department, where he headed a fifteen lawyer office and acted as principal legal advisor to the Board of Regents and successive Commissioners of Education, serving in that capacity until his retirement from New York State service in 1987. During those years he lectured extensively on education law matters and published numerous articles on current developments in education law. Commencing in 1987 he again engaged in and was still engaged in the private practice of law. During his years in Binghamton and in the Capital District, Bob was active in, and in several cases served as president and/or director, trustee, or advisory board member of such organizations as the Albany Symphony Orchestra, American Red Cross, Binghamton Junior Chamber of Commerce, New York State Junior Chamber of Commerce, Capital Region Sponsor-A-Scholar, Hamilton College Alumni Council, Rotary Club of Albany, the Salvation Army, the Capital District YMCA, the YWCA, Five Rivers Limited, New York State D.A.R.E, Normanside Country Club , and Westminster Presbyterian Church, and as a member of committees of the New York State Bar Association. He was a recipient of the Junior Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Service Award, the Albany YMCA Citizen of the Year Award, and the Senior Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Capital District Senior Issues Forum. He has been listed in Who's Who in the East and Who's Who in American Law. Bob was married for nearly sixty-three years to the former Betty Bonnewell, who died in 2008. He is survived by his three daughters: Carol Luckenbach (Keith), Judith Languish (Edward), and Susan Schell (Carl); five grandchildren: David Luckenbach (Cameron), Sarah Schulenburg (Allan), Wendy Crookes (John), Eric Schell (Ashley), and Christopher Schell; and five great-grandchildren: Eliza Luckenbach, Robert Schulenburg, Steven Crookes, Molly Crookes, and Theodore Schell; and his loving companion of recent years, Marguerite Schaefer. He was pre-deceased by his granddaughter, Betsey Languish. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, May 7, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 262 State Street, Albany (parking lot entrance 85 Chestnut Street). Interment will be in Bethlehem Cemetery at the convenience of the family. Contributions in Bob's memory may be made to the Westminster Presbyterian Church Endowment Fund.