Carol E. Stokes was born in Lake Wales, Florida to William and Frances Stoles. Her early years were spent in Jacksonville, Florida. Having married early in life, she lived in Morocco, Greece and Spain. At the age 30, she began her educational career culminating in her PHD in 1994 from the University of South Carolina.
Her career spanned the spectrum from working in an Adult Education as an instructor to bring the Historian for the US Army Signal Corps, Fort Gordon, Augusta GA where she retired in 1998. In the late 1970s, Carol began a career as historian at the Panama Canal Commission in Panama, she authored a history to documenting the implementation of the Panama Canal Treaty that could be found in National Archives, Washington, DC. In the 1980s, she took a position at US Army Signal School, as the lead historian and manager for three federal agencies producing numerous works including monographs, journal and newspaper articles where she managed the managing staff. She also became Co- president, and board member of the Fort Gordon Chapter, US Army Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (1996-99) overseeing the development of the preeminent annual information technology (IT) trade show. After retirement, she served as an Adjunct professor of American History, Augusta State University (1999-2001). Her accomplishments include development of a training guide for GED students. Pioneering work in women’s survival in the marketplace with assertiveness training. She served as a mentor and model for many individuals whom she touched very deeply.
At the age of thirty, Carol returned to school, lead a life of service, and was in many ways a pioneer in the marketplace, and left a trail of success in all her activities. Carol was involved in many charitable organizations in New Jersey, New York and Washington State where she spent the last five years. She held offices in the American Association of University Women. She was admitted at the rank of Dama to the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus in 2010.She is survived by her husband: Everard Don Ishmael; her sons, Father Michael Lankford-Stokes and David Lankford; her beloved grandchildren, Miles and Evan Lankford and a sister, S. Joyce Chapman.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm followed by a Requiem Mass at 6 pm Wednesday at the Roman Catholic Church of the Nativity, 180 Ridge Road, Fair Haven. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (Acute Myeloid Leukemia), 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065. For condolences, please visit www.fiorefuneralhomes.com.