Geraldine Rodgers Tokanel

To encounter Gerry Tokanel was to have witnessed a woman of grace and faithfulness. She possessed stores of charm, benevolence, and humility, and to the many who knew her, she was the epitome of a Southern lady. Gerry’s life was guided by a deep love for family, church, and community, reflected in her roles as a supportive military wife, devoted mother, loving grandmother, and compassionate friend and neighbor.

Born July 12, 1930, in Lenoir County, North Carolina, Gerry was the youngest of six children of Mamie Daniels Rodgers and Marion Butler Rodgers, Sr. She would often say her childhood was a happy one, despite being shaped by life on a tobacco farm during the Depression and the years surrounding World War II. Food for the large family was grown outside, clothes were handmade, and money in her daddy’s pocket was sometimes scarce. Regardless, she felt safe and blessed, and from an early age she learned that family and community are life’s greatest treasures.

After graduating from Grainger High School in 1947 at the age of 16, Gerry began a career in retail and at local banks, including the Federal Land Bank in Kinston. She was content with her work and busy social calendar, not knowing her small-town life was to be uprooted by a phone call from Dumitru “Toke” Tokanel, a young Air Force cadet from Wyndham, New Hampshire.

Gerry and Toke’s first date in the fall of 1954 was at a square dance in Greenville, where he was training at Kinston Air Base to become a jet fighter pilot. Within twelve months—many of which they spent apart—Toke received his wings, they became engaged, and were married on August 20, 1955. From Kinston to Las Vegas; France; Montgomery, Alabama; Tampa, Florida; Hampton, Virginia; and back to Kinston, Gerry and Toke built a life centered around his love for flying and serving their country, including deployments in Chatereaux, France, the Pacific, Korea, and Vietnam. When separated, they nurtured their love through daily letters and an abiding devotion admired by all who knew them.

During this time, Gerry and Toke welcomed two sons, Peter and Shawn. She primarily raised the boys on military bases in tight-knit communities that relied on each other for support and morale. Gerry was surprised and humbled after the Vietnam War, to receive commendation from the Air Force for her enduring support of families and of Toke as he commanded young pilots flying into battle. Upon Toke’s retirement, Toke and Gerry settled back in Kinston in a new home on St. Andrews Place.

Gerry held a quiet purpose in much of her activities, whether it be maintaining the finances, cooking outstanding meals, or being the most skilled (or was it the luckiest?) card player in the canasta group. She enjoyed gardening, sewing, reading, time with family and going to church.

When Toke died suddenly in 1997, Gerry relied on her deep faith not only to endure but to embrace the next thirty years of life—welcoming grandchildren and maintaining the beautiful spirit she shared with everyone around her.

Gerry passed away peacefully at home on January 20, 2026, at the age of 95 and a half. “Don’t forget the half!” she would say. In her final weeks, the words she repeated often were, “God has been so good to me. Everyone has been so good to me.” Gerry leaves behind loved ones who will miss her gentleness, her witty sense of humor, and her unconditional love. Her spirit will live on in every shared story and every act of love inspired by her example.

We take comfort in our assurance that Gerry has been welcomed into her heavenly home by her loved ones who preceded her in death: her parents, Mamie and Marion Rodgers, Sr.; her siblings Marion Rodgers, Jr. (Virginia), Reynold Rodgers (Isabelle), Sybil Helfrich (Robert), Hilda Bullock (Garland), and Faye Tepedino (Frank); and her cherished husband, Dumitru Tokanel.

She is survived by her sons, Peterjohn Tokanel and Shawn Tokanel (Sharon); her grandchildren Neil, Sierra (Dontel Dunston), Spencer, Demetria (Stefan Greenlee), and Seth; her great-grandchildren Leia, Gavin, and Madelyn Greenlee; and other dear relatives and friends.

Gerry will be laid to rest with Toke at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Diabetes Association are warmly appreciated.

A celebration of Gerry’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on *Friday, January 30, 2026 at Covenant Christian Church, 2911 SW Cary Parkway, Cary, NC 27513. *DUE to the expected inclement weather, the service has been moved from Saturday 31st to Friday 30th.

Memorial tributes and messages of sympathy can be left by clicking the "Add a Memory" tab below. Brown Wynne of Cary is honored to serve the Tokanel family.