John Zigmund Stoia

Fletcher, NC – John Z. Stoia, 84, passed away Saturday, May 16, 2015. A native of Columbus, Ohio, he was the son of the late Constantine and Catherine Hadley Stoia. He was also preceded in death by his sister, Adele Stoia Fine and two brothers, Elmer and Dan Stoia. John was a member of Arden Presbyterian Church and was involved in athletics most of his life. He played football on the 8th Army football team on Okinawa. He was a distance runner in New York and won many medals in Henderson County and NC Senior Games and Senior Olympics in track and field and basketball. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn Tobin Stoia; daughter, Cathy Stoia Carter and her husband, Dr. Cameron Carter, of Davis, CA; two sons, Wayne Stoia and his wife, Debbie, of Arden and Michael Stoia and his wife, Nancy, of Houston, TX; seven grandchildren; five great grandchildren and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. A funeral service will be held at 1:00 pm, Saturday, May 23, 2015 at Arden Presbyterian Church with Reverend Ken Crabb officiating. Interment will follow on Tuesday, May 26 at 12:00 noon at the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain. The family will receive friends Friday, May 22nd from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian on Long Shoals Road. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Mercy Ministries at Arden Presbyterian Church, 2215 Hendersonville Road, Arden, NC 28704 or to ABCCM, 217 Coxe Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801.