Kyle Martin Stone passed away on October 2, 2020 in Providence, Rhode Island. It would not be an overstatement to say that it is nearly impossible to capture the essence of this gentle soul in words. Over the past several days, as the stories continue to be shared, the common themes are difficult to dispute. He had an infectious, impish smile and a contagious laugh that you simply could not resist. There was a palpable and positive energy that surrounded him when he walked into the room, where he loved to hold court with his long and detailed stories.

Born on June 11, 1964 in Lake Placid, New York, Kyle spent most of his childhood in the Providence and North Attleboro areas. At an early age, Kyle’s propensity to do things his way became readily apparent to all. Living just a few blocks away, he began sneaking into Brown football practices with such frequency that the coach soon made him the official waterboy. Summers were spent on the shores of Moose Pond at Camp Winona where Kyle, at the ripe old age of six, was the youngest camper ever to attend. Hiking, camping, archery, riflery – there wasn’t an activity that Kyle didn’t attempt and soon master.

Kyle’s athletic prowess truly came into the spotlight at the North Attleboro High School, where he was tapped as Captain of both the Football and Track teams. Kyle was the recipient of the prestigious Balfour Trophy his senior year, along with many other awards and accolades. His athletic ability on the field was only overshadowed by his ability to lead the team and make each individual feel that they were making a contribution. His gregarious personality, sportsmanship, quick wit and joyful soul made everyone want to be around him. Never condescending or supercilious, Kyle made everyone feel part of the gang. Voted “Best Looking” in his high school yearbook, he was incredibly self-deprecating about his good looks and was most at ease in a pair of madras shorts, his prized Carrie Underwood Fan Club t-shirt and his well-worn slippers.

Kyle attended Plymouth State College, now University, from 1982-1986. Not only did he meet many of his lifelong friends there, but Pam Troy, his future wife. College summers spent living in the sandy basement of the family cottage at Seabrook Beach gave him the opportunity to work security for concerts at the Hampton Beach casino. Already a voracious lover of music, this brought things to a whole new level that only continued to escalate, working as a security guard at GreatWoods, the Orpheum, and countless other venues throughout New England. Living and working on Block Island for two “epic” summers was the start of a never-ending love affair with this quintessential vacation paradise, where he would eventually spend his final days. Here, he honed his bartending skills at Deadeye Dick’s and the Atlantic Inn, and most recently helped several friends manage their way through a challenging tourism season. Just weeks ago, after his long and arduous work days ended, Kyle could be found bodysurfing at his beloved Mansion Beach, quietly reflecting with friends at Gracie’s Cove or kayaking at sunset.

Kyle and Pam were married in 1990 with their children Abigail, Samuel and Avery arriving over the next six years, and there was not a more adoring dad on the planet. Whether you wanted to or not, you were going to be regaled with tales of Abby’s artistic abilities, Sam’s golf handicap and Avery’s field hockey aptitude and you felt as if you knew them well, long before ever meeting them in person. Detailed images of each child would be conjured up in the minds of Kyle’s acquaintances with the comprehensive verbal resumes he had provided. The Stone Household was always the place that their children’s friends wanted to be, with Kyle cooking up a platter of ribs before the Pats game while he blasted the latest Phish show, despite the protests of everyone else.

Intrepid, impulsive and spontaneous, Kyle was always ready for the next adventure. Descending the most treacherous trails from NH to Colorado, diving head-first into the freezing cold WV Adaptive Ski Program Turkey Plunge or driving to the next show with his crew, he was always living his best life. We often joked that his weekend began on a Wednesday, and ended on a Tuesday. He made friends everywhere, literally everywhere, that he traveled. He could strike up an easy conversation with the person in front of him at the bank, the deckhand on the Block Island Ferry or the CEO of a major corporation on the chairlift. Everyone became a “buddy of mine” as he would say, and he was adroit in making each and every acquaintance feel valued and respected.

Kyle had a nickname for everyone. He came up with them quickly and they always seemed to be appropriate and enduring. He was a much better cook than he gave himself credit for, willing to take on complicated and intricate recipes. An expert skier, he spent time at the mountains in New England as well as frequent forays out west. He was a prolific and fabled storyteller, putting the likes of JK Rowling to shame. His tales were notoriously detailed and lengthy, but always delivered with great intensity and the hope that you would share in his excitement of the experience.

After his family, music was Kyle’s true love. Anyone who knew Kyle at all, knows it is fruitless to verbalize the passion and obsession he had for just about every genre out there, and attending a concert with Kyle was a rite of passage. He knew every lyric to every song and he danced and sang until the lights came up. His prowess for playing air guitar was a sight to be seen and one that even Jimi Hendrix would have been proud of. Phish and Trey Anastasio held the top two spots in the Kyle hierarchy of performers, and he rarely missed a show. Their music and live concerts brought him endless hours of peace and unparalleled joy. It was indeed, his happy place.

Given his fanaticism for everything musical, it was logical that he would partner with his sister Kristin in 1992 to open City Ticket. With Kyle’s knowledge of music and outgoing demeanor and Kristin’s marketing and business acumen, City Ticket flourished for nearly three decades. Sadly, the recent Covid pandemic brought the ticket business worldwide to its knees and City Ticket was no exception. Yet, always the optimist, Kyle was convinced things would return to normal soon enough and felt that with a little help from Taylor Swift at Gillette in 2021, City Ticket would rise again.

Beyond Pam, Abby, Sam and Avery, Kyle is survived by his mother, Marcia “Muffy” Taylor and her husband Robert Taylor. Kyle was the apple of Muffy’s eye and the evenings that the two of them spent at Seekonk Speedway were among her favorites. Kyle’s father, Joseph M. Stone, passed away last December and is survived by his stepmother, Karen Brenke Stone. He is also survived by his devoted sisters Barb Laverdiere (Alan Leo); Kelley Gardner (Bill); Rachel Costanzo (Joe); and Kristin (Tom McGinn) and by his step sisters Sarah Taylor (Jeremy Ahouse) and Jen Taylor (Mike Pupillo). It comes as no surprise that Uncle Ky-Ky was the favorite of countless nieces and nephews, who were often treated to a game of catch in the yard, an impromptu dash in the pouring rain, or a treat at the store.

Kyle is also survived by his wife’s parents, John and Judy Troy; his sister-in-law Alicia Anchukaitis (Tom); brother-in-law John Troy (Betty) and brother-in-law Jamie Troy (Marnie).

A private family gathering is planned for this week. A joyful celebration of Kyle’s life will be held at a later date and it is the familys’ hope that many of you will come and share your stories of Kyle with us then.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Kyle’s name can be made to two places that were near and dear to his heart.

Winona Campership Fund (a.k.a. Uncle Al Fund)
Camp Winona
35 Winona Road
Bridgton, ME 04009

Waterville Valley Adaptive Sports
PO Box 505
Waterville Valley, NH 0315

Kyle – you remain #87 in our programs, but will always, always will be #1 in our heart.