Horace Stokes

  Horace Archer Stokes, age 88, passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 19, 2016 (Father’s Day!).
  He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Mari Stokes; two sons, Scott (Nancy) of Marysville and Mark (Karalee) of Bellingham; and four grandsons.
  He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Hattie Stokes; his sister, Shirley Agnew, and her son.
  Horace was born on June 18, 1928, in Guntown, Mississippi, and graduated from Guntown High School in 1945. He enrolled in Mississippi State University, starring in basketball for three years before enlisting in the United States Navy in 1949. He served for nearly four years with his final year of service as a U.S. Marine corpsman in the Korean War. After returning to the United States he met and married Mari Smith in St. Paul, Minnesota, and joined the U.S. Customs and Immigration service, where he was employed for 45 years. In 1958 he was transferred from Calexico, California, to Sumas. He made Sumas his home for 58 years, raising his family and loving his “neighbors,” and he will be truly missed by all who knew him.
  Memorial services will be held on Wednesday, June 29, 2016, at 1 p.m. in American Legion Post #212, 134 Harrison St., Sumas, WA 98295, with pastor Carl Crouse officiating. Military honors will be by the Sumas American Legion and the U.S. Navy Honors Team.
  The family suggests memorial contributions be made to: Sumas Advent Christian Church, P.O. Box 10, Sumas, WA 98295.
  Please share your thoughts and memories of Horace online at www.sigsfuneralservices.com.