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As the last line of the beloved hymn, âPrecious Lord, take my hand, lead me home,ã our husband, father, and fiercely loved Grandpap, Don Stonerook, 76, of Lewistown, took the hand of Jesus, and was welcomed into the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, surrounded by his family at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.
Born Nov. 9, 1949, in Lewistown, he was the son of the late Howard T. and Dorothy N. (Youtzy) Stonerook. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his great nephew, Avery Haubrick, his nephew Trevor Pursel, and his brother-in-law, Rusty Pursel.
Don leaves behind his best friend and the love of his life, Judi A. (Miller) Stonerook, whom he married on Dec. 27, 1969. For more than 56 years, Don and Judi shared a beautiful life togetheräone filled with love, laughter, devotion, and plenty of good-natured tormenting. They did everything together, stood faithfully beside one another through every season of life, and shared the kind of love that would cause either of them to do absolutely anything for the other.
He is also survived by his devoted children, Sheli Bodtorf and her husband, Chris, of Lewistown, Nathan Stonerook and his wife, Heidi, of McVeytown, and Cheyenne Stonerook and her fiancé, Abraham Akinyemi, of Tampa, Fla.; his beloved grandchildren, Kyle Bodtorf and his wife, Breanna, Ty Bodtorf and his fiancée, Meagan Earnest, Colby Bodtorf and his companion, Zoey Johnson, Easton Stonerook, Zalee Stonerook, and Zion Akinyemi; and his cherished great-grandchildren, Knox, Banks, and Bux Bodtorf.
He is also survived by his siblings, Dotti Pursel and her husband, Jeff, Patsy Traxler and her husband, Tom, and Jean Pursel, all of Lewistown; and numerous nieces and nephews who lovingly knew him as âUncle Don.ã
Earlier in life, Don was employed at Standard Steel and later at Havice's. He went on to work in maintenance at Valley View Haven, where he faithfully served for 30 years before retiring. Never one to sit still for long, Don continued working during retirement for Bratton Township.
Baseball was Don's first love, and through sports, he left an impact on generations of young people. Over the years, he coached baseball and softball at nearly every age level, earning a reputation as both a successful and deeply passionate coach. He also coached soccer and basketball. To Don, coaching was about far more than wins and losses. It was an opportunity to teach, encourage, challenge, and invest in young lives. Countless players were influenced by his passion, his competitiveness, and the genuine care he had for every child he coached.
Don's love of sports stretched far beyond the teams he coached. He was one of his family's greatest supporters, traveling throughout the United States to follow his daughter and grandchildren as they competed in sporting events. No matter how many miles stood between him and the next game, Don wanted to be there. He took tremendous pride in watching them compete, cheering them on, and simply being present for the moments that mattered to them.
Earlier in life, Don also loved the neighborhood pickup football games that brought everyone together. He and the neighborhood kids would play for hours on end, game after game, until they had quite literally worn the grass away.
Don especially looked forward to his annual hunting trips to Illinois with his family, where he affectionately earned the nickname âShotgun Donnie.ã Those trips brought plenty of stories, laughter, and memories that his family will treasure for years to come.
Another treasured tradition was his family's yearly trip to the Outer Banks. Don loved the time spent there with those closest to him, especially the days spent fishing together. For Don, those trips were never simply about where they went or what they caught; they were about being together, sharing laughter, telling stories, and creating the kind of family memories that would last a lifetime.
As much as Don loved sports, hunting, fishing, and the outdoors, the greatest passion of his life was his faith in Jesus Christ.
His Bible was open every day. He prayed faithfully for his family and friends, and he carried a genuine desire for others to know the Savior he loved so deeply. Don did not simply speak about his faith-he lived it. He looked for opportunities to witness to those around him, sometimes through conversation and often through simple acts of kindness, including sharing the bounty from his garden. His faith was not reserved for Sunday mornings; it was woven into the way he lived, loved, served, and cared for others.
Earlier in life, Don attended Pine Glen Brethren Church, where he faithfully served as a youth leader, investing his time and his faith into the lives of young people. He later attended Pine Glen CMA Church where he served as a Sunday school teacher and elder, and most recently, he faithfully attended Calvary Bible Church in Lewistown. His greatest hope was that the faith that guided his own life would continue through the generations that followed him. The legacy he leaves is one rooted not only in the memories he created, but in the Gospel he believed and the Savior he faithfully served.
Above all else on this earth, Don treasured his family. He was a picture-perfect husband, dad and Grandpap-a man who loved deeply, showed up faithfully, and gave his family the very best of himself. He was a fiercely loving Grandpap, and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren held an especially precious place in his heart. He made sure they never had to wonder how much they were loved.
Whether traveling across the country to follow a baseball game for Kyle, Ty, Colby, or Easton, traveling to Florida to spend time with his grandson, Zion, taking his weekly trips to the sale barn with his granddaughter, Zalee, sitting in the stands at a grandchild's softball or baseball game, or simply picking up a ball and playing catch with another grandchild along the sidelines, Don was present. He also cherished his Mondays spent with his great-grandchildren, Knox, Banks, and Bux, a weekly tradition he always looked forward to and treasured. He showed up, he encouraged them, supported them, prayed for them, and loved them fiercely. To his family, he was so much more than a husband, dad and Grandpap-he was an example of what it meant to love your family well, to put faith into action, and to be there through every season of life.
For Don, the greatest moments in life were often the simplest one-time spent with the people he loved, a ballgame, a neighborhood football game, a hunting trip, fishing with his family at the Outer Banks, a trip to the sale barn, produce shared from his garden, an open Bible, and a prayer offered for someone he cared about.
Though his family and friends will deeply miss his presence, his laughter, his passion, and the unmistakable way he loved them, they find comfort in knowing that the faith Don proclaimed throughout his life has now become sight.
A celebration of Don's life will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Calvary Bible Church, 100 Calvary Lane, Lewistown, with Pastor Bob Marsh officiating. During the service, family and friends will be invited to share stories and memories of Don and the many ways he touched their lives.
A time of visitation will be held at the church from 11 a.m. until the time of the service.
Private interment will take place at Pleasant View Cemetery.
Arrangements have been entrusted to King Funeral Home and Crematory, 47 Carriage House Lane, Reedsville, PA 17084.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Don's memory may be made to Calvary Bible Church, 100 Calvary Lane, Lewistown, PA 17044, to be used in support of mission work-a fitting tribute to a man whose greatest desire was to share the hope of Jesus Christ with others.
Online condolences may be shared at www.kingbarrfuneralhome.com.