The Way We Were: Dr. Joseph Stokes

Dr. Joseph Stokes enjoys gardening and tending to his tomato plants.
Dr. Joseph Stokes enjoys gardening and tending to his tomato plants.
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By Jennifer Jensen

Bringing light to people’s lives

Dr. Joseph Stokes’ first word wasn’t the traditional “mama” or “dada.” Instead it was “light.”

When he was born in 1932, his family didn’t have electricity, but in his small town of Bronson, Florida, they had streetlights. His parents would walk the streets with him in his stroller by the light of the streetlamps. Stokes believes this moment was a premonition to what his life would entail. 

“That was the harbinger of my life,” Dr. Stokes said. “To be a light in people’s lives.”

For Stokes, this came in two forms: through his spiritualty and leading people to their faith; and his career as a urologist for more than 30 years.

His desire to go into medicine started when he was 8 years old and discovered an old barn that had racks of patented medicines. He liked to explore the different medicines and it sparked his interest.

As a doctor, Stokes said he tried to shine a light on the issue, show his patients what was really wrong with them. He also endeavored to be compassionate and give them all the options.

“I felt like I needed to shed some light on what’s wrong with them,” he said. “I always tried to take time to explain to people and give them all the options.”

He graduated from Wake Forest College then attended the Bowman Gray School of Medicine. After graduating, he interned at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.

During that time, his supervisor asked if he could volunteer as a medic for the elementary school safety patrol field trip to Washington, D.C. That was when he met his future wife, Daythel Rogers, who was a nurse on the trip.

“And the rest is history,” he quipped.

Stokes was drafted as a medic and served in the Navy at Okinawa, Japan, for one year.

“So, we dated by mail,” he added.

After serving in Japan, he went back to Atlanta where Daythel was a teacher in nursing school. He moved to Pensacola in 1960 to work at the Navy Hospital.

Dr. Joseph Stokes and Daythel Rogers married on March 4, 1961.
Dr. Joseph Stokes and Daythel Rogers married on March 4, 1961.

The couple married in 1961 and moved to Jacksonville, originally living in Avondale, so Stokes could work as a resident at Duval Medical Center. He then worked for the Mclver Urological Clinic for more than 30 years.

The two were married for 55 years until Daythel’s passing in 2016. The couple has two children: Joseph Stokes III and David Roger Stokes, and two grandchildren.

Healing the soul

Aside from working as a clinical associate professor for five years, Stokes uses his teaching skills – or spiritual gifts, as he says – to teach a bible study group at Windsor Assisted Living.

“Jesus came into my life when I was 13 years old and I guess the Lord has been sort of the foundation of my life since that time,” he added.

While in medical school, Stokes learned about psychosomatic medicine, which explores the relationships among social, psychological and behavioral factors on bodily processes and quality of life. He then read a book that addressed the spirit and the soul of the body, and he tries to incorporate that into his life and his teachings.

“We are spirit, soul and body,” he said. “We are three-part people. When you ask the Lord into your life, the holy spirit comes in and you get the third part.”

He has brought this teaching to several different groups in which he is involved.

“I felt like I needed to shine light into people’s lives on that,” he said.

He’s also been involved in more than 20 nonprofits since moving to Jacksonville, including the board at St.Vincent’s, Regent University and the Duval County Medical Society. On the spiritual side, he co-founded the Christian Coalition of North Florida, was chairman of the board of Avondale Methodist Church, and served as an advisor for Abundant Life Outreach Ministries.

Dr. Joseph Stokes and Daythel Stokes on their wedding anniversary
Dr. Joseph Stokes and Daythel Stokes on their wedding anniversary

Stokes was also involved with board for City Rescue Mission for 18 years as well as Rotary Club and the Boy Scouts.

An area where he has been able to combine his passion for faith and medicine was on 10 mission trips in which he has participated over the years. Six of those were medical missions. He has been to Guatemala, Romania, Ecuador and the Philippines.

One of his favorite trips was in 1975 to Palawan, Philippines, where he spent more than a month.

“I saw four miracles happen on that trip that changed my life,” he said.

Stokes has slowed down a bit since that time but keeps busy. Aside from his bible study, he also reads at least two books a week, attends bingo and enjoys other activities, such as gardening. He has been gardening for more than 60 years and at his current residence, he has a small garden in the courtyard. He had two tomato plants that grew 60 tomatoes.

“I keep it neat, and I like doing it,” he said.

 

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