David John Stokes

Born in Wichita Falls on July 23, 1962, the son of Danny and Herminia Stokes, David John Stokes is a 1980 graduate of Wichita Falls High School and moved to Waco to study commercial art at TSTI. He was employed in several places in San Antonio before moving to Tyler to help manage Tyler Athletic Club where he met Pamela Haddox. They were married on April 29, 1989, in the Concord community near Troup. David graduated from both Tyler Jr. College and Stephen F. Austin State University with honors while also working full time as a bilingual teacher's aide for Carlisle ISD. In December of 1999, he completed his master's degree in Bilingual Speech/Language Pathology from TCU in Fort Worth.

David moved to Lufkin in 2000 to accept a position as a speech pathologist for Memorial Health System of East Texas. Over the next several years, he was employed by Diboll ISD as a speech/language therapist and also as a diagnostician for Jacksonville ISD. In 2099, he opened Angel Wings Speech Center, which he operated up to this present time. David was founder and a president of TOMMAS, Texas Organization of Multilingual Multicultural Audiologists and Speech Pathologists. In 2001, he developed TheraVantage, a side business in which he published log books for therapists; video stories and educational software for therapists and Spanish-speaking children. Throughout his career, David demonstrated a deep love and concern for children and their education.

In his free time, he enjoyed nothing more than playing a round of golf with his son, and supporting him in his high school golf and tennis team tournaments. He was an avid storm chaser; loved to fish, paint, and keep a meticulous lawn. He had a strong faith in Christ and love for his family.

Survivors include his wife, Pamela (Haddox) Stokes of Lufkin; son, Patrick Ryan Stokes of Lufkin; mother, Herminia Stokes; brothers and sisters-in-law, Danny and Evelyn Stokes, Jr.; and George and Mary Stokes, all of Wichita Falls; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Sandy and Brian McClain of Lufkin and Brenda and Dan Cole of Tyler; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

David is preceded in death by his father, Danny Stokes and mother-in-law and father-in-law, Cecil and Allison Haddox.

Pallbearers are Albert Chapa, Richard Joseph, Scott McClain, Jayson Minguez, Jerry Gonzales, George Stokes and Joseph Stokes and Ben Bartlett.

Honorary pallbearers are Todd McClain, Danny Stokes, III, Brian McClain and John Arredondo.

Donations may be made to The Helping House via PayPal or through the mail, P. O. Box 631513, Nacogdoches, TX 75963.

Services for Mr. Stokes will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, August 6, 2012 in the Gipson Funeral Home Chapel with Revs. Andy Salagaj and Trey Ainsworth officiating. Interment will follow at 3:00 p.m. in Concord Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery in the Concord community near Troup, Texas.

Condolences may be offered at www.gipsonfuneralhome.com

Services have been placed in the trust of Gipson Funeral Home