Selby E. (Stokey) passed away on August 26, 2019. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Joyce (Lewis), his son and daughter-in-law, Chip and Melanie, and 2 grandchildren.
Stokey and I were supposed to graduate with our contemoraries in 1965 but enjoyed NBHS so much that we stuck around and did a little <ahem!> "post graduate" work to get our high school diplomas with this '66 class. We raised so much hell together back then that it is a wonder we made it into our 70s, but we, and everyone reading this, did, and he and Joyce were married for 50 years! Condolences to you, Joyce, for your loss. I will never forget Stokey.
If you knew him, you won't forget him...Stokey was a singular character...one of a kind. His wit often echoed through the student body for days. Somehow, he even made the number 41 memorable. Monday morning tales of his weekend adventures regularly made the rounds. Since Stokey died my emails have been full of tales of the man. One old salt told me that Stokey's naval ranking was almost impossible to achieve. I'm sad that he's gone, but happy to have known him.
Leigh: "Somehow, he even made the number 41 memorable..."
Stokey and I were at the Kerr Rexall after-school hangout in Cameron Village one afternoon and spotted a personal ad in a National Enquirer tabloid:
"BM seeks WF. I am Colored, not bad looking for age 41. No prejudices..."
It would be Politically Incorrect to ridicule something like that today, but in the more normal mid-'60s we got a big laugh out of it, and before long dozens of Broughton students were repeating "I am Colored, not bad looking for age 41." Lee Lovvorn even quoted that in his memorable campaign speech in an assembly where he was running for some Student Council office. Silly teenagers!
Speaking of silliness: hopefully, the statutes of limitation have run on appropriating highway signs. A trio of us took the "41" nonsense to a new level when, spontaneously, on a nighttime run to the beach we nearly wiped Highway 41 off the map. Methodically, like a smoothly functioning pit crew with lug wrench in hand, swiped around 20 signs, later selling them to classmates for $5 each. Somehow Stokey wasn't in on that stunt.
William White "Will" Williams
Stokey and I were supposed to graduate with our contemoraries in 1965 but enjoyed NBHS so much that we stuck around and did a little <ahem!> "post graduate" work to get our high school diplomas with this '66 class. We raised so much hell together back then that it is a wonder we made it into our 70s, but we, and everyone reading this, did, and he and Joyce were married for 50 years! Condolences to you, Joyce, for your loss. I will never forget Stokey.
Stokey's obituary:https://www.capitalfuneralhomenc.com/obituary/selby-stoke-jr?lud=155A6E7B9E3EAD3C5D7C927B136A093A&fbclid=IwAR3dvAKsIvlSi9Xul8DyRg0hIlQ8Jrmc8TmsRciEwyg
S. Leigh Park
If you knew him, you won't forget him...Stokey was a singular character...one of a kind. His wit often echoed through the student body for days. Somehow, he even made the number 41 memorable. Monday morning tales of his weekend adventures regularly made the rounds. Since Stokey died my emails have been full of tales of the man. One old salt told me that Stokey's naval ranking was almost impossible to achieve. I'm sad that he's gone, but happy to have known him.
William White "Will" Williams
Leigh: "Somehow, he even made the number 41 memorable..."
John A. Hearn
Here is his page on Find-A-Grave. An amazing career detailed here:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/204982423/selby-edward-stokes