William T. Stokes

Obituary William (Bill) Stokes passed away peacefully at his home in Monterey on Monday, May 6th. Bill was born in Blue Island, IL the eldest child of Theodore Stokes and Lucille Helmhold Stokes. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Diane, and his loving wife Evelyn. Bill is survived by his sister Janet of Indianapolis, his daughter Sarah (Andrew) and grandson, Walker, of New York City, nephews Scott (Helen) Hall, David (Maria) Hall, and four great-nephews (Jared, Jacob, Daniel, and Zachary). He spent most of his childhood in Indianapolis, IN graduating from Manual High School; then proceeding on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Ball State University in Muncie, IN where he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. Bill was a dedicated middle school mathematics teacher. Bill’s middle school mathematics teaching career included time in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Department of Defense Schools (DODD) in Germany, and the Los Altos School District in northern California. His interest in developing supplemental lessons for his classrooms led him into a position with Creative Publications assisting in the development of mathematics materials for middle school students. In 1991, Bill, with the assistance of his wife Evelyn, founded Stokes Publishing Company developing innovative math books and products that merged visual and tactile learning with pattern recognition in an approach that made learning mathematics a creative act. His insights and ingenuity led to his securing of numerous patents for the development of projectable calculators to assist in the instruction of mathematics skills/concepts; and, timers aiding K-12 teachers and students in the development of time management skills. As Stokes Publishing Company matured and more leisure time was available, Bill and Evelyn enjoyed traveling together to many countries, with Switzerland being their favorite. Bill cherished his many friendships and was grateful for those who cared for him during these past few years. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. A Celebration of Life will be held at Bill’s home in July. Friends and family will be notified of date and time. In lieu of flowers, family requests donations be made to a charity of your choice in memory of Bill. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William T. Stokes, please visit our floral store.