Frederick William Stokeld

Frederick William Stokeld died Tuesday, October 1, in Arlington, Va., where he had lived for 51 years. He was 86. Fred was born June 15, 1933 in Middlesbrough, England. He was the oldest of 16 children born to Frederick Stokeld Sr. and Beryl Metcalf. In the 1950s Fred served in the Royal Air Force and was stationed in West Germany. He also earned an undergraduate degree from the London School of Economics. Fred later moved to the United States and received an MBA from Indiana University. For a time he lived in Chicago and worked at the Sperry Rand Corporation before moving to Portland, Ore., to take a job with the Portland Chamber of Commerce. In Portland, Fred met his future wife, Laura Renfro. They married on August 4, 1962, and had two children: Frederick Stokeld Jr. and Amanda Stokeld Moroney. In 1968, Fred and his family moved to Arlington after Fred accepted a position in the International Division of the United States Chamber of Commerce in Washington. In that role Fred periodically traveled to Canada, Europe, and Africa. After leaving the Chamber in 1989 Fred did consulting work and also worked in real estate. Fred loved his wife of 57 years and adored his children. He enjoyed reading history and poetry, listening to classical music, gardening, cooking, watching football, and spending time with family and friends.