RIP: William B. Stone, Sr.

Former Pikeville Mayor William B. Stone, Sr. has passed away.

Pikeville residents can pay their respects in Lexington this weekend to a former mayor whose love for sports brought a semi-pro baseball team here several decades ago.

William B. Stone, Sr., who served as Pikeville Mayor from 1946 to 1949, died in Lexington Wednesday. The husband of the late Betty Call Stone, Mayor Stone was born in Big Shoal and he was a 1935 graduate of Pikeville Junior College, where, as a star basketball player, he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.

Stone, an avid sports enthusiast, was instrumental in organizing a semi-pro baseball team, the Pikeville Redlegs. Players came from all over the country to join the team, which competed in the national championships in Kansas.

The world of baseball was quite different for Eastern Kentucky in those days. In surrounding areas, coal mining towns, or coal camps, recruited players with coal mining jobs. City commissioner Eugene Davis said some coal companies in Wheelwright, Big Stone Gap and other coal camps, hired players to participate in the sport by “giving them something to piddle around with outside of the mines.”[...]

Stone's daughter, Carolyn Stone Edwards, of Lexington, said her father remained independent and passionate about politics his entire life.

“He voted until this last election,” she said. “He believed and told every one that voting, it was almost a sin if you didn't do it. He preached that all the time.”

Edwards said her father “shamed” his neighbors in a Lexington-based assisted living apartment complex into voting this year.

“He had the highest integrity,” Edwards said. “You hear all kinds of stories about dishonest politicians. My dad stood for integrity. It wasn't always the most popular route, but that's who he was.”

Stone, a democrat, was the Chairman of the Kentucky Young Democrats and he served on the national committee. As a delegate, he attended the Democratic National Convention many times, served as Chairman of the Pike County Democratic Party and ran for state senate several times.

“Mr. Stone was one of our region's outstanding leaders,” said Hal Smith, president of Pikeville College. “He gave generously of his time and talents to help improve the quality of life for our community and state. He exemplified the leadership qualities we value at Pikeville College. He will be missed by his family and friends, but his good work will continue to provide rewards for those who benefited from his vision and kindness.”

May Mayor Stone rest in peace.