HOUSTON -- "Good night, neighbors."

Ron Stone, who anchored the news on KPRC TV for 20 years and was a Houston broadcasting legend, passed away from prostate cancer on Tuesday with his family by his side, KPRC Local 2 reported.

Stone, who turned 72 on April 6, spent more than 30 years on the air in Houston. His signature sign-off of "Good night, neighbors" reflected his down-home style.

He was a daily fixture for KPRC viewers from 1972 until he retired in 1992 and formed a production company. Prior to that, Stone worked at KHOU TV for 10 years.

Stone was known for being a renowned storyteller.

"The first job I ever applied for, the news director asked me if I knew how to use (a television camera). I must confess I didn't know what one of these was. But I learned," he said.

And he learned it well. The television camera became his canvas and his brush. He would use it to paint pictures and then bring them to life through the artistry of his words.

Stone's masterly arrangement of pictures and words captured the very essence of television journalism.

His manner was folksy and plain spoken, but beneath that was a razor-sharp intellect that combined a lyrical command of language with hard-nosed professionalism.

Coworkers, Friends, Family Remember Stone

"In my 44 years of working in television, I've never sat next to anybody who was as accomplished as he was. And he didn't just sit there and talk to hear himself talk, to hear noise. He said something. And that does not just include the telethon, but when hurricanes were coming into the Gulf, the guy was masterful," former coworker Ron Franklin said.

"As a writer, as an intellect, I've never worked with anybody finer. He really understood news. He was the consummate newsman," former co-anchor Jan Carson said.

Competitors on other channels proudly called him a friend.

"He just had a way about him I thought was outstanding. And in my estimation, Ron Stone was the finest television news anchor this city ever saw or ever will," KTRK TV anchor Dave Ward said.

It was more than just a job, it was a calling, a public trust. Stone did not read the news. He told stories about people.

"Dad really wanted people to respect the humanity of those folks being interviewed. That was very important to him -- very important," Ron Stone Jr. said.

"He was a natural -- down to earth, so real, no artifice. With Ron, what you saw was what you got and people loved him," Carson said. "When I think of Ron, I think of the fact he gave his heart on a daily basis. And that was a big heart."

"When it came to writing, there was nobody better. When you heard that typewriter singing away in his office, you didn't dare go in there and bother him cause he was creating what I thought was greatness. And it was, whether it was the kicker, whether it was the lead story, whether it was an editorial he wanted to write, it was right on," Franklin said.

"Ron Stone was a truly great man. Modest and kind, he was a superb TV journalist and a very good man. Integrity and honor are two words that come to mind. Barbara and I send our most sincere condolences to Ron's family," former President George Bush said.

Former Houston Mayor Bob Lanier was a friend.

"He covered the news, the stories -- I don't think he ever got cynical or mean-spirited. He was not naive. He just had a goodness to him throughout his life," Lanier said.

"He knew how to touch people's hearts. He had a soul. He was a giving person and giving of himself," said Elyse Lanier, the former mayor's wife.

"We'll miss Ron Stone in Houston, Texas. He saw a lot of our history. He was a very special person," Houston Mayor Bill White said.

Stone's Sense Of Humor

Stone was serious about his work, but he could also reveal a sublime sense of humor, both on camera and off.

Like the time he brought on Wilma the Weather Chicken to test whether her forecast was more accurate than weatherman Doug Johnson's. Wilma did not cooperate.

"Are you frightened of the chicken?" Stone said to Johnson on the air.

"No, but the chicken is frightened of me," Johnson replied.

"No, she's not," Stone said.

"Get her off my seat. Let her sit on Worrell's seat," Johnson said.

"The thing promptly flew up into the rafters. We had to hire somebody two to three days later to come get the chicken -- some chicken expert that does that sort of work," Johnson said. "He could always manipulate me into conversations. And I didn't know I was being manipulated and it was always a conversation pit that I was going to pay the price for."

For 19 years, Johnson and Stone ad-libbed their way through the lighter side of the news, making the old Scene at Five show a Houston institution.

"Stone would present these things and just carry them on and they would balloon into usually horrible experiences for me," Johnson said. "He could have been a standup comedian easily. I thought so."

"He not only was the consummate professional, but he had a great since of humor. He knew how to laugh at himself, but most of all, wanted people to laugh," Franklin said.

Stone became a weatherman one night, which resulted in a lot of laughs but not a lot of meteorological information.

"If you'll kind of bear with me folks, we'll see how this looks. Cloud cover over -- well, you know your map. You know where the cloud cover is. Why should I tell you that? If you live in the California desert, a likelihood of sand, I would say," he said.

Stone's Commitment To Others

Stone's commitment to his community extended far beyond the studio.

He was always ready to help out for a good cause, often making two or three speaking appearances before heading to work.

"I can't tell you the number of little league openings, bowl-a-thons, MDA, Aisles of Smiles. Dad kept up a rigorous, demanding schedule because that's the thing he thought he was supposed to do," Ron Stone Jr. said.

Stone's care and concern drove the annual MDA telethon.

He raised millions of dollars over the years to combat muscular dystrophy. His commitment to alleviating the suffering of its victims was personal. He cared.

"He was asked to give the eulogy for several patients who died of muscular dystrophy. I remember him going to several. He would be asked and he would do it cause he knew these people and they got to know and love him, and he got to know and love them in return," Ron Stone Jr. said.

"He was probably one of the most effective MCs ever of getting the public to understand the importance of giving to the MDA, of participating in the telethon. There was no one like him," said Chris Perry with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. "He did a great job of telling our story to the public."

Stone's Early Years

"He was a child of the depression and lived a very hardscrabble existence in a very small town in Oklahoma," Ron Stone Jr. said. "He told me about times when he heard Cleveland Indian baseball games and imagined himself announcing the baseball game. He'd go in the back yard with a tin can and a string, and pretend to announce baseball games."

Stone honed his craft in the early days of broadcast news in his native Oklahoma, moving to Houston in the early 1960s where he was front and center on every major story for the next three decades.

Although his credibility and engaging personality would anchor him to the news desk, Stone was happiest when he was out on assignment.

He took to the field at every opportunity, interviewing newsmakers of the day.

Indulging his passion for Texas history, he produced and wrote several award-winning documentaries. He also authored three books about the Lone Star State -- "A Book of Texas Days," "Disaster at Texas City," and "Houston: Simply Spectacular."

As a result, the native Oklahoman would be honored as a son of the Republic of Texas and as a Knight of San Jacinto.

His keen sense of history in the making took him to the Middle East conflict, where he reported from Israel and Lebanon, and to a fatal earthquake in Guatemala.

He was there when the wall came down in Berlin. He later called that assignment the highlight of his career.

Stone also told unique stories about Texas as host of the long-running KPRC program, the Eyes Of Texas.

Although he decided to retire from television news in 1992, Ron launched a new career.

Using the skills he had perfected as a broadcaster, Stonefilms of Texas Inc. was born.

His new company would earn dozens of advertising awards and help his many corporate clients improve their bottom line.

Years after his retirement, many people thought Stone was still on television, accustomed as they were to seeing him in that role.

So, 10 years after his retirement, KPRC brought him back for a cameo one-night appearance along with weatherman and good friend, Doug Johnson.

That night, May 22, 2002, Stone ended the newscast as he had many others over his long and storied career.

"That's our news for tonight. Thanks very much for joining us and good night, neighbors," he said.

The Houston Chronicle once called Stone "the most popular and revered news anchor the city has ever known."

He held a B.A. from East Central State University and a M.L.A. from Houston Baptist University. The University of Houston awarded Stone an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree in 1994.

Friends Become Family

He leaves behind a legion of friends who became like family.

"I loved him, I loved him. He was like that brother I never had. Gosh, it made it so much easier to do things then and that's what makes it so tough now," Franklin said.

"He was just loveable, admirable, smart, honest. He was always all the things I thought you could admire in a human being," Johnson said.

"He was a great guy, Ron Stone. I'll never forget him. My heart goes out to his family and his wife, Patsy, and children and grandchildren. He was really one of the greatest, I think," Ward said.

Stone ended his final newscast in 1992 with his trademark sense of humor and love of Houston.

"Thank you for putting up with me. Thank you for letting me into your homes. I always figured that doing local television was a trust, so I never tried to lie to you, never tried to lead you down false paths. I spent 30 years working at two really fine television stations in one really fine town. I've been a lucky man," he said.

"I think Ron would like to be remembered for his great heart because that heart, that giving nature, that wonderful love of people was reflected in everything he did," Carson said.

"All of those little things that mean so much to neighbors. That's how I hope he'll be remembered. That's how I think he'll be remembered. And that's a pretty great legacy to leave. It's more than just videotape. It's actual involvement in people's lives," Ron Stone Jr. said.

Stone was surrounded by his family when he passed away in his Houston home. He leaves behind his wife, Patsy; sons, Ronnie and Billy; daughters Julie and Robin; and nine grandchildren.

Visitation, Funeral Finalized

Visitation will be held Thursday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the George H. Lewis and Sons funeral home, 1010 Bering Drive.

The funeral will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, 11612 Memorial Drive. The funeral is open to the public. Condolence books will be available at the visitation and funeral for guests to sign. The burial will be private.

KPRC Local 2 will air a special tribute, Remembering Ron Stone, on Saturday from 7-8 p.m.