Leo "Nip" Stone, 85, passed away on July 23, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. He was born on April 14, 1941, in Lumberton, North Carolina, to Forest and Snow Stone.

To many people, he was Leo Stone. To those who knew and loved him, he was simply Nip.

Leo was a one-of-a-kind man. He was strong, hardworking, generous, stubborn in the best way, and fiercely devoted to the people he loved. He was the kind of person who could build something from nothing and the kind of man who would give whatever he had if he thought someone needed it.

On January 11, 1963, Leo married his beloved wife, Betty-Jean Stone. Together, they spent 63 years building a life, a family, and a legacy. Betty-Jean was by his side through all of it—not only as his wife, but as his partner in everything they built together. Their life was a testament to what two determined people can accomplish when they stand beside one another through the good times and the hard ones.

Leo truly was a self-made man. He spent many years as a brick mason before building and owning his own brick masonry business. With determination, hard work, and the support of Betty-Jean, he built that business from the ground up and created a life for his family through his own two hands.

Retirement didn't mean slowing down for Leo. He went on to build and develop his own mobile home park business, once again creating something meaningful through his hard work, vision, and determination. He had a remarkable ability to start with very little and turn it into something lasting—not only for himself and his family, but for the many people whose lives he touched along the way.

Leo didn't just work hard; he built a life from the ground up. And while his businesses were an incredible testament to his determination, the greatest thing he built was not something that could be measured in dollars. He built people up.
He had a way of making people feel like they mattered. He became a father figure to many of his nieces and nephews and to many others who were fortunate enough to cross his path. He never seemed to care whether someone was family by blood. If you needed him, you were family.

And if Leo loved you, you knew it.

He showed his love by taking care of people. He loved to feed people, and there was always room for one more at his table. He wanted to know that everyone was fed, cared for, and okay. Giving was simply part of who he was. He knew what it was like to have very little, and that may be why he was so determined that the people he loved would never go without.

Leo was an inspiration to so many. His life was a reminder that success isn't only about what you manage to build for yourself, but about what you are willing to give to others along the way.

Leo leaves behind his beloved wife, Betty-Jean Stone; his children, Sherry Taylor, Terry Stone (Alice-Dillon and April), and Kimberly Smith and her husband, Terry; his granddaughter, Emilee Higgins and her husband, Nicholas Higgins; and many cherished nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Forest and Snow Stone; his brother, John Walter Stone; and his sisters, Juanita Risen, Opal Fipps, and Helen Brookman.

Leo's greatest legacy is not the businesses he built or the things he left behind. It is the people he loved and the lives he changed. He leaves behind people who learned the value of hard work by watching him, the importance of generosity by experiencing it, and the meaning of taking care of others because Leo always did.

There will be an empty place now where Leo used to be. An empty chair. An empty spot at the table. A voice that won't be heard and a familiar presence that can't be replaced.

But the love he gave us doesn't leave with him. It lives in his family, in the people he helped, in the lessons he taught without ever needing to say them out loud, and in the stories that will be told for years to come—the stories that will make us laugh, make us cry, and remind us just how lucky we were to have him.

Leo spent his life making sure everyone else was taken care of. Now it is our turn to carry him with us.

He was a hard worker. A provider. A protector. A father figure. A husband. A grandfather. A friend. A man who gave more than he ever asked for in return. And to the people who loved him most, he was simply Nip—and there will never be another man like him.

A time of visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 from 1:00-2:00PM at Floyd Mortuary & Crematory, Inc., 809 East 5th Street, Lumberton.

A funeral service will follow the visitation on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 2:00PM at Floyd Memorial Chapel with Rev. Russell Kinlaw, Jr. officiating.  Burial will follow at Gardens of Faith Cemetery in Lumberton.

Flowers are welcome or memorials may be made to: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.