Marlene H. Stokes

Marlene Stokes (née Schintz) passed away peacefully on Jan. 5, 2025, at age 81. Born Feb. 1, 1943, to Theodore and Marjorie Schintz, Marlene graduated in 1961 from Providence High School on the west side of Chicago, where she and her younger sister, Barbara, were raised. A free spirit and strong-willed, Marlene secretly married Harold D. Stokes, a private in the U.S. Marine Corps, in 1963, and, when her furious mother found out, the couple repeated their nuptials in a second wedding ceremony (this time in the church) in 1965. They were married for 19 years and had one son. Marlene held a number of secretarial jobs for a variety of employers including Western Electric in Cicero, Esquire magazine in Chicago, and Dominick’s Finer Foods in Northlake. Quick to strike up conversations with strangers, she also enjoyed working part-time retail positions for several stores such as Marshall Field’s in West Dundee and, until her official retirement in 2019, Walgreen’s in Elmhurst. Her most colorful job was working at Janssen’s Egg Farm in Hampshire, Ill., in the late 1970s, where she and a small crew of similarly spirited women inspected, packaged and sometimes delivered fresh eggs. Her favorite job, however, was being a mother to Michael (Jana) Stokes and loving grandmother to Camille, Morgan and Avery. Known for being easy to laugh and her tendency to cry during both happy and sad movies, Marlene’s warmth, patience and generosity was boundless. She was beloved by family and friends. An avid reader of mysteries, Marlene frequented the public library since she moved to Elmhurst in 1998. She stayed active “water walking” with friends at the public pool and Courts Plus. She also enjoyed crochet, had a legendary sweet tooth, and loved animals – including feeding and watching birds. Visitation Friday, January 17, 2025, 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Gibbons Funeral Home, 134 South York Road, (½ mile North of Saint Charles Road), Elmhurst. Interment Private. For funeral information please call 630-832-0018 or www.gibbonsfuneralhome.com