STOKES, Deborah Ellen, age 65, born June 1, 1951 in Canton, Ohio, beloved daughter of Bishop Rembert E. (deceased, former President of Wilberforce University) and Dr. Nancy Phillips Stokes, transitioned June 1, 2016. Debbie graduated Cum Laude from Central State University with a Bachelor's of Arts in English and completed her Master of Arts degree with honors in English from the University of Dayton. After nearly 30 years of teaching, Debbie retired from Central State University as an Associate Professor of English. She was a guide and friend to her students and forged meaningful relationships with her colleagues. The arts were always dominant in Debbie's life, and she worked tirelessly to uphold the diversity of artistic expression in local communities. Her endless creativity and commitment to educational excellence resulted in the creation of the Black Oak Project, an initiative intended to celebrate the heritage of Native Americans and persons of African descent through student writings and performances. She used this platform to introduce her students to writing and the spoken word and helped them create theatrical scripts to depict events and personalities of historical significance. The group performed in many parts of Ohio by invitation. Years of writing and public poetry readings lead to the Bottom Dog Press publication of her collection of poems, Epicurus’ Dominion, She was very proud of this achievement. Her poetry also appeared in Obsidian II: Black Poetry in Review and The Heartlands Today, and in Black Poetry for All Americans, an anthology. The Dayton Arts Council recognized her poetic achievements by awarding a major grant which she used to conduct workshops in storytelling for area high school students. She received the Key to the City for Tiffin, Ohio, where the Mayor declared "Deborah Stokes Day" in recognition of her poetry and commitment to Ohio. Debbie's love of Ohio's grand landscape and wildlife were frequently referenced in her poems. Debbie served as the Artist-in-Residence for a year at the Paul Laurence Dunbar State Memorial House in Dayton. During her tenure, she contributed to keeping Dunbar's reputation alive by arranging poetry readings and conferences devoted to him, and provided the leadership for conferral of the Doctor of Humane Letters on Dunbar by Wilberforce University in 1999. Over fifty years earlier, her paternal grandfather, Attorney William O. Stokes had been instrumental in securing funding to preserve the Dunbar home. And while a student and member of the photography club at Hampton University, Debbie's maternal grandmother, Mrs. Ella Cheeks Phillips posed for two Dunbar poems to give visual expression to his verses. All who knew Debbie knew she was bound to God's creatures, large and small. She never countenanced the inhumane treatment of animals and was member of many animal rights protection organizations. She joined her mother and sisters in the sisterhood of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Debbie will always be lovingly remembered by her mother, Nancy P. Stokes, sisters, Linda Stokes Smith (Robert), and Celeste Stokes McDermott, niece, Elesha Smith Grant, nephews, Brandon Smith, Jordan Smith and Alexander McDermott, adopted daughter, Tiffani Yogman, cousin, Peggy Stokes and other family members and friends. Celebration of life service will be held 11 am Thursday, June 9, 2016 at Holy Trinity A.M.E. Church, 1230 Wilberforce-Clifton Rd., Wilberforce, Ohio. Visitation 9-11 am. Family will receive friends 10-11 am. Arrangements entrusted to the House of Wheat Funeral Home, Inc., 2107 N. Gettysburg Ave. In lieu of flowers, Debbie's family would appreciate memorial donations to Defenders of Wildlife, the Montgomery County Humane Society or UNICEF.