Professor Emeritus Henry Stonie, who taught in the Emerson Humanities and Social Sciences Department for 45 years and served 12 years as chair of the department, died May 17 at the age of 90. 

Stonie joined the Emerson faculty in 1957 while working toward his Master’s in sociology at Boston University. He served as director of men’s dormitories at Emerson from 1957 to 1965, earned tenure in 1963, and worked as director of religious activities from 1988 to 1991.

Stonie taught at Kaunas University in Lithuania on sabbatical in 1988, returning to work on several campus redevelopment committees. He also served as the founding president of the faculty union, ECC-AAUP, from the early to mid-1960s. He retired in 2002 at the age of 70 and received Emerson’s Faculty Service Award in 2003.

In addition to his work in academia, Stonie committed six years as minister of Christ Church Unitarian in Dorchester, Massachusetts before serving as warden of Hampton Falls Congregational Church in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. In North Hampton, New Hampshire, he acted as Union Chapel’s summer season weekly minister and was a member of the board.

Stonie received his Bachelor of Arts in sociology at Northeastern University in 1953, a Bachelor of Divinity at Andover Newton Theological School in 1957, a Master of Art in sociology at Boston University in 1959, and a Doctorate in Education in 1972.

Henry Stonie is survived by his wife Mary Jo; his two sons Dorian and Henry Stonie, Jr.; Cathy (Ogawa) Stonie, and Carlos Soto-Chaves, and his two grandsons, Matthew Kai Stonie and Morgan Joe Stonie.