Hundreds of friends, family members, classmates and university officials met on Friday to celebrate the life of Tom Stone, a 22-year-old business administration senior.
Family, friends and university officials spoke of memories they had of Stone and the time they spent in his company.
“Tom was a man on his own path and in its wake, left nothing but warm smiles, warm hearts and more awesome stories than anyone I’ve ever met,” said Jason Barry, Stone’s roommate. “Two minutes into any conversation with Tom, you were either in one of the deepest conversations ever, or you were smiling cheek-to-cheek.”
Stone’s immediate family came out from Utah for the event. Both his father, Jim, and his sister, Kate, spoke of memories and thanked those who came to show support.
“He was so silly,” Kate said. “The summer when he turned 15, Tom convinced my parents to let him have any haircut he wanted as soon as school was out. He decided to go with the Friar Tuck, which is a bowl cut with a bald spot on top.”
This type of description was a reoccurring theme throughout the heart-warming speeches about Stone. He was goofy and light-hearted with stories that could fill a novel twice over.
Stone was pronounced dead at the hospital after being struck by a train around 5 p.m. on Feb. 16.
According to Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong, Stone will still be receiving his Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in management and business resources.
“He earned it,” Armstrong said. “In these times of tragedy and grief, we come together as Mustangs to support one another.”
Three Cal Poly students were there with Stone after he was struck, and while they didn’t know him, they held him and comforted him until emergency vehicles arrived.
Stone will live on in the hearts of his friends, family and others who knew him.
“I try to take solace in the fact that Tom will always be that carefree, fun and loving, happy, goofy guy who was always full of life,” Kate Stone said. “I think that is how he would have wanted to be remembered.”
Those interested in helping fund a separate memorial service for Stone can donate to the gofundme here.