Anne Brewer Stone, 97

Mar 5, 2023

Anne Brewer Stone passed away peacefully at her home on February 05, 2023, just shy of her 98th birthday. She was born on February 25, 1925 to Robert Dubois Brewer and Margaretta McCandless Brewer of Hingham, Massachusetts. Anne attended St. Catherine’s School, Milton Academy, and the Boston University School of Nursing, and worked as a Pediatric Nurse at Boston Children’s Hospital during World War II. In 1947, she married Galen L. Stone of Brookline and Marion, Massachusetts. They enjoyed a loving and supportive union for more than 70 years until Galen’s passing in 2018. Together they had five children: Diana, Mary, Pamela, Galen and Brewer.

Anne’s husband worked as a career foreign service officer for more than 30 years, rising to the rank of Ambassador. As a diplomat’s wife and the mother of five, Anne had her hands full moving around the world, representing our nation and keeping her children on track. Wherever she traveled, family in tow, Anne was always an exemplary representative of the United States, full of dignity and grace. She accepted the circumstances, adapted to local customs and practices, and immersed her family in all of the beauty and history of each foreign land. In addition, Anne always sought out roles in which she could serve the local community. In New Delhi, India, for example, she was a co-founder of the Women’s International Club, while also applying her nursing skills to a local family planning and early childcare organization and volunteering at Mother Teresa’s Home for the Destitute and Dying. Anne loved working with children, and so while serving as First Lady in Nicosia, Cyprus she took time to work at a hospital for special needs girls. In addition to these and other roles, Anne enjoyed travel, hiking, gardening, entertaining, cooking, and staying in touch with family and innumerable friends all around the world.

When her husband’s career with the foreign service came to an end and her children settled, Anne continued giving back to the community as a Trustee and volunteer. Notably, she served as a Trustee of Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts and a Member of the Corporation at Boston Biomedical Research Institute. Since her husband’s passing, Anne’s greatest joy was to spend time with her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and nieces and nephews. Anne/Gramanne/Aunt Anne always had a smile on her face and encouraging words of wisdom for everyone. Early in February, when told that her 98th birthday was coming up, Anne said, “Well, I don’t need it; would you like to have it?”

Beyond her many accomplishments and interests, Anne Stone was a moral and spiritual guide to many, notably in the example of her deep commitment to a life of service to country, community, friends and family, in her perseverance as a 17 year pancreatic cancer survivor, and in her explorations of the common values and practices embodied in the major world religions. Anne was also a fount of practical wisdom, noting for example that “when you feel down, do something nice for someone else.”

Mrs. Stone is survived by her children Diana Stone and her partner Paul, Mary Smith and her husband Scott, Pamela Evans and her husband John, Galen III, and Brewer and his wife Pam; her 14 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.

A service to celebrate Anne’s long and extraordinary life will be held at Great Hill, Marion, Massachusetts on Friday, August 11th at 2 PM. Gifts in her honor would be welcomed at two of her favorite organizations, the Boston Children’s Hospital Trust and Doctors Without Borders.