Dr. Alex B. Stone, 93, of Rock Island, died Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015 in Evanston, Ill.

Funeral services are 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Congregation Beth Israel at the Tri City Jewish Center, Rock Island. Burial is at Mount Nebo Cemetery, Davenport. Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home, Rock Island is assisting the family. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Tri City Jewish Center, Augustana College Stone Lecture Series or to the Two Rivers YMCA, Moline.

Alex was born March 14, 1922 in a small town in Poland, the son of Louis and Rebecca Okuniewski Finkelstein. He married Martha Ringler on Sept. 23, 1943 in Brooklyn, N.Y. She died March 29, 2012.

Alex and his family moved to Brooklyn when he was seven years old. He helped support his family by doing odd jobs when he was growing up. He met Martha while attending high school in Brooklyn. Alex attended St. John's University, selling Fuller Brushes to make ends meet. He attended veterinary school at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan. He practiced veterinary medicine briefly in Connecticut and worked for the government vaccinating hogs in southern Illinois before moving to Moline where he opened a large animal practice in 1948. In 1950, he began a small animal practice in his basement and then later opened a clinic in Moline, where he practiced for over 30 years.

In 1968, Alex and Martha headed to Stanford University for a year, where he did a fellowship in comparative ophthalmology and began his specialty of treating eye diseases in his practice. After the death of his son Lewis in 1970, Alex and Martha began another pursuit consistent with their concern for those less fortunate and built housing for low income families and then senior housing in Rock Falls, Ill.

Through the years Alex served on many boards and committees including, the Exchange Club, Figge Art Museum, YMCA, Moline, and both of the local synagogues, Congregation Beth Israel at the Tri City Jewish Center, Rock Island, and Temple Emanuel, Davenport, as well as Bat Yam Synagogue in Sanibel, Fla.

He was instrumental to the founding of the Quad City Arts Council and promoted his love of learning through the sponsorship of two lecture series at Augustana College. He and Martha enjoyed traveling, from Israel to the Ivory Coast of Africa. A number of years ago he began another chapter in his life and became a published author and was happy to tell friends that several of his stories were available on Amazon.

Those left to cherish his memory include his daughter and son-in-law, Anne and Clayton Weaver, Wilmette, Ill.; granddaughter, Elizabeth Weaver, Wilmette; daughter-in-law, Nannette Stone, Ossining, N.Y.; sister, Elaine Steinmetz, Los Angeles, Calif.; a niece; several nephews; and many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Lewis Stone; and his wife, Martha.

Online condolences may be left at wheelanpressly.com.