Lucille B. Stockton

Lucille B. Stockton, 86, of Litchfield Park, AZ passed away March 1, 2012 in Goodyear, AZ.  She was born July 10, 1925 in Harrison Township, PA to Ralph E. and Ethel Beale.  Lucy was one of 5 children growing up on a dairy farm in southwest Pennsylvania.  She had a particularly close life-long relationship with a sister, Dorothy (Hunter).  After high school she attended Chatham Women’s College in PA, where she was once named May Queen.  After college she was married to Ronald Bond, from Indiana, PA and moved to Tucson in the late 1940’s.  Their only child, Ryan Bond, was born in Tucson in 1952.  The Bonds moved to Phoenix , AZ in the mid 1950s, where Lucy began a decades long career in education as a teacher in the Washington School District.  After her divorce in the late 1950s, Lucy became a single parent raising Ryan.  She later married Joseph Van Ness, moving and continuing her teaching career in Gila Bend and Ahwatukee.  At the end of her career in education Lucy became a school librarian. Lucy was an avid reader and lover of books and had a strong interest in world literature and theater.  Later in life she organized groups to do play reading. She also loved to travel, visiting Europe, Central America, South America, and Alaska.  Some of her trips involved chaperoning students, which she loved to do.  In her 70’s and retired, Lucy realized a dream by moving to  Ashland, OR where she immersed herself in the Shakespeare Festival and other dramatic productions.  While living in OR, she met the love of her life, Lloyd Stockton (USAF-Ret.).  Lucy and Lloyd married and enjoyed happy years together in Medford, OR.  In recent years Lloyd became ill and she provided much of the care he needed and was a wonderful support for him.  After Lloyd passed away in 2011, Lucy decided to return to Arizona to be nearer family and friends, settling in Litchfield Park in November 2011.  Lucy greatly enjoyed spending the holidays with her family.  She passed away unexpectedly March 1, 2012.  Lucy will be loved and remembered for her kindness, generous spirit, elegant sense of style, intellectual curiosity, and, above all, love for her family.  She is greatly missed.  Services were private and Thompson Funeral Chapel provided arrangements.  Lucy is survived by her son Ryan M. Bond (Margaret), sister Dorothy Hunter of Rockville, MD, brothers Robert and Floyd Beale, both of PA, and 2 grandchildren Robert Bond of San Diego and Micaella Butterfield (Bryan) of Avondale, AZ.  She was preceded in death by her sister Kathleen Douthit.