Catherine Merritt Stokes

Catherine “Kitty” Merritt Stokes, of Devon, died April 6, 2016 at age 86. She was born in New York, NY to Henry Cowles Merritt, Jr. and Catherine Fuller Merritt. After graduating from The Spence School she enrolled in Bryn Mawr College. In 1949, she married Edward “Ted” Brooke Stokes, investment broker and later real estate developer, and enjoyed a loving marriage for over 66 years until his death in February 2016. The couple lived on the Main Line throughout their entire marriage and raised three sons. Kitty’s passion was for the environment and the protection of wildlife. In the early 1970s she was a founding member of Project T.R.E.N.D., a program of the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education to teach conservation and ecology to school children. She later served on the Schuylkill Center Board of Directors. She loved being active outdoors, whether on a nature trail, in her garden, with one of her cherished pets, or on the tennis court. Kitty radiated warmth and positivity; she enjoyed making friends everywhere she went and was the bright center of her family. She is survived by her brother Henry “Buzz” Merritt, sons Edward Jr., Michael and Peter, 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. A grandchild died earlier. In place of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, 8480 Hagy’s Mill Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19128. A joint memorial service for Kitty and Ted will be held at Main Line Unitarian Church, 816 S. Valley Forge Rd, Devon, PA 19333 at 3:00PM, April 16, 2016.