Lucille Antonia Stokes

With hearts full of sorrow, we announce the passing of Lucille “Lucy” Antonia Stokes, 86, of Deer Lodge, Montana, on July 17, 2026, at Deer Lodge Medical Center. Lucy passed away peacefully and comfortably with loving family members by her side.

Lucy was born January 31, 1940, in Longwood, Wisconsin, to Louie and Jennie (Celesnik) Suda. Louie and Jennie later divorced. Lucy and her brother, Bill, relocated to Deer Lodge with their dad when he went to work at Warm Springs to operate the dairy. Lucy graduated from Powell County High School and through the years worked many rewarding jobs. It was while working that she met Calvin “Cal” Stokes for the first time and the rest of her life began. On March 19, 1966, the couple married in Deer Lodge, and together they began building a life they would center around their four boys. Lucy was an incredible homemaker and wife as well as a dedicated mom. The family spent any free time they had outside, including fishing, hunting, and camping. Summers were spent in the woods wherever Cal was logging.

One of her first careers was as a telephone operator; talking on the phone was something she always enjoyed, receiving a daily or weekly call from Lucy is something her family will deeply miss, she loved keeping in touch and hated to say goodbye. In the 1970’s, Lucy began traveling the state selling paints and stamped goods for Tri-Chem. Lucy was very creative and several of her painted pieces were still displayed in her home when she passed. While working for Tri-Chem she won many awards and earned a trip to Hawaii for her and her husband; she talked about that trip often and proudly. Lucy was later employed as a bank teller at Peoples Bank and then Pioneer Federal in Deer Lodge. Her grandchildren happily remember visiting her at these jobs and always leaving with a sucker (or two or three). Prior to retirement, Lucy worked as administrative support for the Montana Department of Corrections Boot Camp, a position she loved due to the lasting friendships she made there. Lucy worked all of these positions while first devoting herself to her role as a wife, mother, and friend. Truly, those roles were the ones she excelled in.

Lucy had a deep love for her family. More than anything, she valued time spent with her children and their families, especially time together at the property she and Cal owned in Seeley Lake. Lucy would often take her young grandchildren for weeks at a time during the summer break. Throughout the year all of her loved ones would gather at “The Stokes Hollow” for a weekend full of lake time, campfires, storytelling and games. She happily accepted her title as “Camp Host.” Friends and loved ones say she often showed she cared through baking. She loved to feed people and made a delicious sweet potato salad during the holidays.

Lucy had a fun spirit and was involved in any activity she possibly could be when it came to her family. She attended sporting events, plays, birthday parties, midnight Black Friday shopping and even rode the Missoula carousel at 82 years old when her grandkids asked her to. Lucy and Cal enjoyed snowmobiling and were part of the Deer Lodge Snowmobile Club for many years, she loved to ride fast and was quite the daredevil. As an active member of the Immaculate Conception church, she attended Cursillo weekends with her Christian community; her faith was very important to her.

Known to dedicate many hours tending to her flowers and working in her yard, Lucy had several varieties of flowers both inside and outside her home that always seemed to thrive. When asked how she kept her plants alive, she claimed it was simple, she just sang to them. She always had a radio on, so this does seem the likely answer. The same love and care she put into her beautiful yard and flowers, she gave to her pets. Lucy had a soft spot for dogs and always had one or two in her care; she loved them all like family members.

Over her lifetime, Lucy sewed numerous handmade quilts and quilted art pieces, gifting them to friends and family for graduations, weddings, baby showers and every other milestone of life. Her quilts and other sewn pieces will forever be a physical reminder of the time and energy she poured into those she cared about and of her love. She was happy to teach others to sew and loved working on projects with her friends at various sewing retreats, the last she attended in May. She truly enjoyed the time with her friends as much as the projects she created with them.

Lucy is survived by her four sons: Dave Stokes (Marsha) of Great Falls, Frank Stokes of Cimarron, Kansas, Shawn Stokes (Brenda) of Banks, Oregon, and Ric Stokes (Oregon); her brother Bill Suda (Marilyn) of Hamilton, Montana; her sister Jane Peterson (Art) of Owen, Wisconsin; 11 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by many extended family members and friends, too many to name.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Cal Stokes; her infant daughter, Peggy Stokes; her parents Louie Suda and Jennie Langfeldt; and her sister, Frances Gosse.

A Funeral Mass will be held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 601 Clark Street, Deer Lodge, on Saturday, September 12, at 11:00 a.m., with a luncheon to follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Shodair Children’s Hospital Foundation, Attn: Foundation, 2755 Colonial Drive, Helena, MT 59601.

Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home have been privileged to care for Lucille and her family.