Alberta Geneva Evans Stokes, beloved mother, grandmother
Alberta “Abby” Geneva Evans Stokes, 99, a beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025.
She was born in Blairsville, Ga., Oct. 19, 1925, to William Albert Evans and Jennie Margaret Gilbert Evans. Abby was the seventh of eight children and the last to survive. She was named for both her parents - a “double junior.” While she deeply loved her home state of Georgia, she had a wanderer’s spirit. At the end of her life, she had lived in five states and the District of Columbia. Abby attended Truett McConnell Bible College in Cleveland, Ga., and in her 20s, answered the call of service by joining the U.S Government’s Office of Strategic Services (OSS, later known as the Central Intelligence Agency) as a typist. It was in Maryland that she met her husband and started her family. She dedicated herself to raising five daughters, who were her pride and joy, Farah (Randy), Deborah (Jim), Teresa (Gene), Kara (Kevin) and Suellen (Joe). Her legacy continues through her seven grandchildren, Chelsea, Jasmine, Channing, Evan, Collette, Caleb and Daphne; and her five great-grandchildren, Bryson, Lily, Luna, Micah and Lark. Each of them held a special place in her heart. Abby lived a life of service to others, and she was an outspoken champion for the vulnerable and underprivileged.
Later in her life, she was employed as a social worker in Maryland and in South Florida, aiding hundreds of citizens with her determination and professionalism to obtain deserved benefits that improved their lives. She was also a volunteer for the Red Cross, as a storyteller to preschool children at her local library, as a teacher’s aide, and as a volunteer for various progressive causes. Abby was part of an acting troupe in the 1960s called the Susquehanna Players. They renovated a large barge and installed theatre seats and a stage, calling it The Showboat, where Abby acted in some of the plays shown there. She was known for her love of language and was an accomplished and published poet. She was open-minded and curious, always seeking to better understand both new and ancient spiritual teachings. She nurtured in her children a love for the thoughtful, the artistic, the profound, and the humorous, encouraging curiosity over convenience, depth over distraction, and creativity over the ordinary. Through her example, her children learned to seek beauty in ideas, meaning in art, and wisdom in reflection and service to others.
As we remember Abby, we celebrate a long life well-lived and the enduring impact she made on her family, friends, and community. Her spirit will live on through the many lives she touched and the family she loved so deeply.
Alberta Evans Stokes will be dearly missed but lovingly remembered. May she rest in peace.
The family wishes to thank her many kind caregivers at Excelcare Lewes (formerly Harbor Healthcare).
A private family service will be scheduled at a later date.
Visit Abby's Life Memorial webpage at parsellfuneralhomes.com.
