The Southlake community said goodbye to Sgt. John Stokes on Friday afternoon.
Last month, John passed away from a sudden medical event unrelated to COVID-19. Working in law enforcement since 1986, John started working with the Southlake Police Department in 1999 and rose through the ranks to sergeant during his tenure. He served as the school resource officer supervisor for Carroll ISD, earned five commendations throughout his career and was named supervisor of the year in 2018. John is survived by his wife Heidi and his six children.
“John was a beloved member of our police family and will be sorely missed by his co-workers and the community,” Southlake Police Chief James Brandon says to MySouthlakeNews.com. “John had a long law enforcement career, but our school resource officer program’s leadership is a great example of the heart that he had for protecting others. We extend our condolences to the Stokes family and offer our prayers during this difficult time.”
Gateway Church held a funeral service for John at 1 p.m. on Friday, December 11. Around 500 people came to honor John and commemorate his memory.
A GoFundMe campaign started by school resource officer Brett Roberson has raised over $41,000 in support of John’s family. If you would like to support them as well, visit GoFundMe.com.