Dr. Richard Lawrence Stokes III

Dr. Richard L. Stokes, III (“Pete”) passed away on February 20, 2023, surrounded by loved ones. He was born in St. Paul MN on June 24, 1942, to Kathleen and Richard Stokes. His survivors include his wife of 55 years, Linda and his children, daughter Lee; sons Ricky (Monaz) and Michael (Courtney); and grandchildren, London, Eli, Logan, Carter, and Roman.

After receiving a BA from Harvard University and his medical degree from Howard Medical School, he completed his internship and residency at the University of Chicago Lying-In Hospital in obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN); he then served in the U.S. Air Force for 2 years. In 1976 he and his family returned to the East coast, specifically Reston VA, where he and Linda lived for 44 years. They moved to Alpharetta, GA in 2019 to be close to “the grandkids.”

He was the first OBGYN to open a practice in Reston. He also had privileges at Leesburg, Reston, and Fairfax hospitals and served on multiple boards of directors and medical associations. Throughout his long career he delivered over 8,000 babies and advocated vociferously for the health of mothers and babies. For that reason, the family is requesting that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in his memory (“Richard L. Stokes, III, MD”) to: Every Mother Counts (everymothercounts.org); Good + Foundations (goodplusfoundation.org); or National Diaper Foundations (nationaldiaperbanknetwork.org).

The family will hold a celebration of life in Reston on July 21, 2023, at West Market Club House, 1901 Logan Manor Drive, Reston, VA 20190 from 1:00-4:00pm. Prior to the celebration, the family requests that you share your stories of him and his unique sense of humor to [email protected] (Subject: Pete-isms).

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.roswellfuneralhome.com for the Stokes family.