Gardner Mark Stoker Iv

Gardner Mark Stoker IV passed away quietly on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, in Warner Robins, Georgia.  Mark, as he was known to friends and family, was born on April 9, 1944, in Quincy, Florida—oldest of the five children born to Norman Pierre Stoker and Hattie Frances Stoker (née Smith).  His father, a World War II U.S. Army Air Corps combat pilot, had stopped briefly in Quincy just to meet his newborn son before heading off to fight in the European theater. Mark was raised in the lifestyle of a true military brat, having lived in a number of different cities, states, and even overseas during his formative years—Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Japan, and Rhode Island.

In 1962, Mark graduated from Rogers High School in Rhode Island, and then enrolled in George Washington University in the District of Columbia. After earning his bachelor’s degree in psychology from GW, he enlisted into the United States Air Force in 1967.  During his first military assignment in 1967 (at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida), Mark met the love of his life, and fellow member of the U.S. Air Force’s medical cadre, Ruth Hermann. In 1968, Ruth had to leave for a three year assignment in Germany, but reunited with Mark in 1971 at the conclusion of her tour. Following Ruth’s return to the United States, Mark and Ruth both separated from the military and soon after were married in a small ceremony in Fort Walton Beach, Florida on June 9, 1971. Shortly after their wedding, they moved just down the road to Tallahassee, Florida where two significant events occurred—the earning and conferring of Mark’s Masters Degree in Social Work from Florida State University and the birth of their first child, Norman Chad—both in 1973. In 1976, the three of them relocated to Meriden, Connecticut. While in Connecticut, Mark began working as a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service (U.S.P.S.) and also worked part time in the Connecticut National Guard.

Mark was a devoted father and husband to his beloved wife. In 1977, Mark and Ruth were blessed with their second child, Amber Melissa. Now with a family of four, he would enjoy taking the entire family on experiences that provided memories that would last them a lifetime—things such as frequent camping excursions, annual outings to the Eastern States Exposition (the Big E), and occasional road trips up and down the east coast to name just a few.

In all, Mark worked 28 years as a postal carrier—a job he enjoyed very much. He loved serving the community, and would often even give candy to the kids on his route. During the Christmas season, Mark and his family would make and decorate gingerbread houses from scratch before delivering them to those same children on his days off.  When Ruth joined him in retirement, they both moved to Warner Robins, Georgia. Moving to Georgia gave Mark the time and weather to enjoy a lot of his favorite pastimes, while also escaping the inevitable chores of harsh northern winters.

Mark always truly loved being outdoors—whether it was for camping, gardening, walking, hiking, playing racquetball, or biking—it didn’t matter.  He was also a voracious reader. Throughout his life, Mark read libraries worth of fiction and non-fiction. Anyone who knows Mark well can easily picture him in a familiar pose—with his head buried in a good book. Mark was also a University of Connecticut basketball super fan. He passionately followed the men’s and women’s Husky basketball teams through many seasons and several national championships.

Mark was also a loving and caring grandfather to his four grandchildren. He always attempted to share many of the same experiences with his grandkids that he did with his children. In his retirement, he was able to enjoy a quiet and relaxing life, but from time to time was also able to travel to exciting destinations with Ruth and family. Places like Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii, the Inside Passage in Alaska, the sunny Caribbean, and the majestic mountains and historic railways in the Canadian Yukon. When not seeing the world, Mark enjoyed gardening in the backyard with Ruth and playing with the grandkids and the dog—and yes, curling up with a good book, maybe with a slice of carrot cake or a chocolate chip cookie nearby.

Mark was predeceased by his younger sister Susan. Mark is survived by his loving wife Ruth, his younger brothers Jeff (Cheryl) and Tim (Yvonne), his baby sister Lisa (Mitch), his two children Norman and Amber (Rob), his four grandchildren Robbie, Reny, Marc, and Rayford, and many nieces and nephews.

The family is asking that no flowers be sent. However, if you wish to give in remembrance of Mark, you may consider a small donation to the Alzheimer’s Association, the largest non-profit funder of Alzheimer’s research. God willing, a cure can be found for this truly debilitating and devastating disease. Donations can be given at the following link. http://www.alz.org/research?form=FUNSETYDEFK

Please visit simplycremationmiddlegeorgia.com to express condolences.

Simply Cremation of Middle Georgia has charge of the arrangements