Come join former players, friends and family at the Jonesboro-Hodge Methodist Church on December 14, 2023, as they relive memories of Henry Robert “Bobby” Stone, one of most beloved coach’s in Jonesboro-Hodge High School history.

The special memorial service will be held in the sanctuary at the church located at 402 South Cooper Avenue in Jonesboro. A greeting of the family and social hour will begin at 10:00 am. This will be followed by several former players, friends and family members sharing recollections at 11:00 am with Reverend Randy Dark officiating.

“Coach,” as he was affectionately known by former players and friends, died peacefully in his sleep nine days after his 94th birthday on November 22, 2023. He was buried by Jane, his wife of 62 years who died in 2019, in his his birth home of Tifton, GA  on November 30th.

A brief bio shows that Bobby was a high school football star for Tifton High School, class of 1948, where he was honored as an all-district player all four years of his high school career. After high school he earned junior college All-American honors at South Georgia College, did a four year tour of duty in the Air Force and then became a two time Gulf States All Conference member at Louisiana Tech.

This was followed by a coaching career that included nine years as head football and track coach at Jonesboro-Hodge High School. From 1961-1970, Stone led his teams to three district titles, four playoff appearances and developed 14 players who went on to play in college. In 2008, he was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bayou Classic and in 2016 voted into the Jackson Parish Sports Hall of Fame.