THE EXPERIMENT OF A LIFETIME Born and raised in South Philadelphia in an extremely ethnic neighborhood that was Jewish, Polish, and Lithuanian, Anthony M. Stonis—I like to call him Ant—attended Saint Casimir School on Wharton Street, which was part of the Lithuanian parish. Growing up with Ant, he made it clear to our parents that he simply did not want to attend Bishop Neumann, which was the local Archdiocesan high school; rather, he wanted the opportunities offered by a private high school, both academically and athletically.
parents. Our father was a machinist at a factory near Connie Mack Stadium in North Philadelphia that made parts for the aircraft industry, and despite our family being of modest means, our parents found a way to pay the tuition and send Ant to La Salle.
China. But the company remains a world leader in developing, manufacturing, and promoting products using natural and renewable cashew nutshell liquid technology. And that’s a testament to the blood, sweat, and tears that my brother put into the company.
Ant played football and rowed. He was a tremendous student-athlete. He excelled, of course, in Chemistry and was inspired by a number of great teachers including “The White Owl,” Brother F. Aloysius, FSC who taught him Chemistry, along with Gerry Tremblay ’53, who he always said was able to get his point across. Ant graduated La Salle in 1964 went on to the Drexel Institute of Technology (now Drexel University) where he remained focused on chemistry and his commitment to education. He graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering.
Ant retired in 2015 and turned over the reins of Cardolite to his son, Tim, who prior to joining Cardolite in 2004 worked in the high tech world of Silicon Valley with a number of dot-com start-up companies. Ant now serves as Chairman and in an advisory position.
One of his internships at Drexel was at DuPont, where he would begin his career in production. He went on to work for 3M and had assignments at factories on two continents ranging from engineer, line supervisor, planner, and plant manager. One thing that stands out in my mind about Ant was his fascination with chemistry as a young boy. I remember he had a chemistry set and would often order chemicals and supplies through the mail so he could create reactions— something I’m sure our parents loved… But it’s that love of chemistry that he carried with him from those early years, through high school and college, and into his professional life. And who knows, without those mini near-explosions in our South Philadelphia home, maybe the story of Ant Stonis would’ve played out a little differently. As the high school decision loomed, Ant looked at both La Salle College High School and Saint Joseph’s Prep. And despite the fact that we lived closer to Philadelphia International Airport than La Salle, he chose to leave early each morning and arrive home late so he could get that Christian Brothers education. He chose to take a bus, the subway, another bus, and then walk down a hill and then up a hill (in the snow and rain) to get to get to La Salle each day. Ant also needed to explain the concept of tuition to our EXPLORER SPRING 2016 14
All the while, Ant was driven to succeed and never forgot his roots in South Philadelphia. He would often share with us articles and clippings that he would come across in travels. And, knowing his love for the area, I made sure to send Ant clippings from the local papers in South Philadelphia. While working for 3M, Ant learned about the sale of a smaller 3M plant in Newark that extracted oils from the cashew nut shell which are used by a variety of industries including railroad, automotive, solvents, paints, and adhesives. In 1984, and with the help of some private investors, Ant was able to acquire the company from 3M. He named the new company Cardolite Corporation and eventually acquired 100 percent of the shares. He expanded the company through research and development, opening offices around the globe with the headquarters remaining in Monmouth Junction, NJ. Cardolite no longer has production in the USA, instead maintaining a plant in Karnataka, India and one in Zhuhai,
Outside of his work with Cardolite, Ant was very involved with and dedicated to advancing the missions of several industry associations. He is the past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company and the past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of New Jersey Business and Industry Association. He also sits on the Board of Directors of the Chemistry Council of New Jersey. Ant is an example of what a person can do if they put their mind to something. He is a great example of hard work and a tremendous role model for students of La Salle College High School. One cannot help but admire his achievements; particularly, in light of the fact that he did it all on his own and with little or no help from others. His accomplishments came from what was in his own pocket coupled with his drive for success. Ant, who recently celebrated his 70th birthday, loves to travel and take cruises to exotic ports. He and his wife Carol, who passed away in May of 2014, traveled around the world together. Today, Ant splits his time between homes in Midtown Manhattan, Long Beach Island, NJ, and Naples, FL. In addition to his son Tim, Ant has a daughter, Jacqueline, along with five grandchildren. Tony Stonis ’64 was inducted into the La Salle College High School of Hall of Fame during the Communion Breakfast on Sunday, March 5, 2017.