John L. Stoner was born in Sacremento, California on January 17, 1906. His family moved to Montana where he attended Great Falls High School. He was a regular visitor to the studio of Charles M. Russell who had a profound influence on his life. After graduating from high school, he moved back to San Diego where he was a pupil of Otto Schneider and Eugene Devol at the Academy of Fine Arts. From 1930-1938, he and his wife, operated a commercial art business. With the outbreak of World War II, he began working for Rohr Aircraft Company and stayed there until retiring in 1973. He was a member of the San Diego Art Guild and had exhibitions at the San Diego Fine Arts Gallery in 1927 and the California Pacific International Exposition in 1935. His work was also exhibited at the Bank of America in Julian, California; and the San Diego Musuem.