John William Stoner, retired Berkeley Lab Archivist and Librarian at Berkeley Lab, passed away unexpectedly on June 8, 2023. John was born in Santa Barbara, California on April 20, 1950. He attended Santa Barbara High School where he was an ROTC member and in 1970 received an Associate in Arts degree from Santa Barbara City College. John continued his education at UC Santa Barbara, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in History in 1972 before earning his Master of Arts in History in 1978.
Throughout his life, John demonstrated a deep passion for libraries and recognized their invaluable contributions to society. He began his professional journey at UCSB’s Davidson Library as a staff member and later pursued a Master’s degree in Library and Information Systems at UC Berkeley in 1992. Shortly after, John joined Berkeley Lab, starting in the Archives and Records Office (now the Records Management Office [RMO]) as a Records Analyst. His career as an Archivist at the Lab steadily grew, first specializing in document control for the Environment, Health and Safety Division from 1993-1994 before moving to the IT Division (formerly Information and Computing Sciences Division) where he advanced to RMO team lead in addition to overseeing library operations. A significant breakthrough occurred in 2011 (AIP History Newsletter, pg. 3) when John co-led a project to successfully revise DOE guidelines to allow personal papers to be preserved in the U.S. National Archives. The personal records of outstanding scientists and engineers provide important insights into their work in addition to being historically valuable in consideration of future research. After nearly 25 years of contributions at Berkeley Lab, John returned as a rehired retiree in 2017 as the manager of historical projects before leaving the Lab in 2019.
“John was a wonderful colleague and collaborator who truly understood what the Laboratory was and what made it a special place. John’s work to assemble and curate the Lab’s historical materials is a lasting legacy that would not have been possible without his deep knowledge and dedication.”
— Adam Stone, Berkeley Lab CIO & IT Division Director
“I met John in July of 1996 when he interviewed me for a records management position at the Lab. He was enthusiastic about preserving the history of the Lab and also leading the transition to electronic records. He helped lay the groundwork for the modernization of our records program while respecting the importance of the past.”
— Karen Nelson, Operations Records Specialist, IT Division
Even in retirement, John continued to champion libraries by initiating and organizing the school library at Mission Dolores Academy in San Francisco and volunteering at the Pleasant Hill Library. In addition, he reignited his passion for art by pursuing further studies at the Concord Senior Center, finding immense joy and fulfillment in artistic endeavors. In his final year, he served on the Pleasant Hill Commission on Aging, further contributing to his community. John was also a devoted member of St. Ignatius in San Francisco and actively participated in parish activities since joining in 1993.
John is survived by his loving wife, Dr. Kathleen Noonan, professor at Sonoma State University, his daughter Hope, who now resides in Cork, Ireland, and his beloved canine companion, Angus. He also leaves behind his two sisters, Joyce Fernandez (Terry) and Janice Contons (Bob) and a loving extended family with whom he shared strong bonds.
Funeral services were held at St. Ignatius Church, San Francisco, on June 20, 2023. Donations in his memory may be made to the Friends of the Pleasant Hill Library, 955 Contra Costa Boulevard, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 and to Mission Dolores Academy, 3371 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94114.
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