John P. Rubino

Operated Stony Hill Inn For Over 60 Years

John P. Rubino, 80, of Bethel, beloved husband of Rose (Ferro) Rubino, died at Danbury Hospital January 12. Mr Rubino was born in Stamford, a son of Anthony and Christine (Stavola) Rubino.

He attended Stamford High School and after serving time in the US Army, he returned to Bethel where he worked with his family in running the family business, The Stony Hill Inn, located on Route 6.

“There was nothing around us then, just cows when you looked across the road. I was one month by myself here, just me and Antonio, our old cook from the Grille,” Mr Rubino recalled of the inn’s 1945 opening during a 2005 interview with The Newtown Bee.

Mr Rubino and his brother, Gene, were instrumental in many expansions to the Stony Hill Inn, the site of celebrations for numerous Newtown and area families and organizations over the years. In 1946, the Rubinos installed the swan pond and planted the maples that surround the pond today. In 1951, the kitchen underwent a renovation, then in 1958, the Rubinos added four rooms to their motel, followed by ten more in 1960. A dining room expansion in 1965 was followed by a west wing addition in 1975, and the front lobby addition. An additional dining room was added to the east side of the building in 1981, and in 1993 the Rubino family added a driving range and pro shop, and the gazebo that has become a favorite wedding photo site for hundreds of brides and grooms. Mr Rubino also built the Berkshire Inn on Route 6 in 1981.

In 2005, Mr Rubino summed up 60 years of operating the Stony Hill Inn by saying, “To be a success in this business, you have to put your heart and soul into it.”

Mr Rubino was a lifetime member of St Mary Church and a charter member of Stony Hill Volunteer Fire Department.

Besides his wife, he is survived by four children, all active in the operations of the Stony Hill and Berkshire Inns: Anthony J. Rubino II, Christina LeBlanc, John C. Rubino, and Lisa R. Ward and husband, Scott, all of Bethel. A brother, Gene Rubino, of Bethel; three sisters, Christine Setaro and Rosemarie Caraluzzi of Southbury, and Frances Portante of Acton, Mass.; four grandchildren; and a great-grandson; as well as several nieces and nephews, also survive Mr Rubino.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St Mary Church, Bethel, on Thursday, January 15. Burial followed in St Mary Cemetery.

Green Funeral Home, 57 Main Street in Danbury, was entrusted with arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hope for Jack c/o Lisa Demers, 83 Old Hawleyville Road, Bethel CT 06801.

The Newtown Bee      January 16, 2009