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The Life of Patricia Stokes

Patricia S. Stokes, an artist and owner of the former Concept Natural Foods store in Chestnut Hill, died March 20 at her home in Philadelphia. She was 92.

Mrs. Stokes had a lifelong love of art and music that she expressed in a wide range of pursuits: artworks in media ranging from watercolor to fabric collage, window decorating, custom-made lamp shades, interior design, flower arrangement and presentations on the music of some of her favorite popular composers. She played the piano and could often be found there, exclaiming over the harmonic intricacies of a classic from the American Songbook such as "Body and Soul."

In 1970, Mrs. Stokes’ interest in nutrition led to her opening Concept Natural Foods, so named because her concept was “the whole person” – body, mind and spirit. The shop, one of the first health food stores in the city, opened on Chestnut Hill’s Gravers Lane and later moved to the top of the hill on Germantown Avenue. The store was a popular source of health foods, supplements, books and lunches for 25 years.

Mrs. Stokes was born Helen Patricia Schriever on March 30, 1921, in Cincinnati, Ohio, the only child of an accountant, Edward John Schriever, and a piano teacher, Mary Jane Molloy.

A graduate of Ursuline Academy in Cincinnati, Mrs. Stokes attended the Cincinnati Art Academy from 1939 to 1942. She designed advertising and displays for retailers including the Gidding’s department store in downtown Cincinnati. She also lived for a short time in New York City, where she was a layout designer at Junior Bazaar magazine.

At an art show opening in Cincinnati, she met John Stogdell Stokes Jr. of Philadelphia, who was living in the city on business. They were married in June 1947 and settled in Chestnut Hill, where they had five children. They divorced in 1972.

Beginning in 1959, Mrs. Stokes was active for many years with the Guild House, the activity center for Our Mother of Consolation Catholic Church. She worked with a local decorator to give its interior a makeover, and Mrs. Stokes planned and installed a monthly changing exhibit of art prints and arranged monthly art lectures there. She also created flower arrangements for the OMC church altar.

Mrs. Stokes was involved with the retail life of Chestnut Hill before she opened Concept. She created window displays for several shops along Germantown Avenue and participated in the Chestnut Hill Flower Show, for which her window displays won Best in Show and other prizes.

Mrs. Stokes also, for 40 years, made custom paper lampshades incorporating hand-painted designs from the lamp base or room decor. Her shades featuring a watercolor of the Valley Green Inn with cut-out windows were especially popular; one is still on display at the inn.

After she retired from Concept, Mrs. Stokes stayed active in Chestnut Hill, volunteering at the Bird-in-Hand consignment shop and writing an “On the Avenue” column for the Chestnut Hill Local newspaper about neighborhood shops.

In 2007, Mrs. Stokes moved to the Cathedral Village retirement community, where she wrote art exhibit reviews for the community newsletter, created evocative, month-themed posters for the library and developed programs featuring the songs of her favorite composers, especially Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin and Duke Ellington.

Mrs. Stokes was preceded in death by her former husband in 2007 and by her son Thomas Edward Stokes in 2012. She is survived by her son John Stogdell Stokes III of San Diego; three daughters, Anne Stokes Hochberg of Haverford, Pa., Mary Elizabeth Stokes (Lynne E. Brown) of Philadelphia and Patricia Stephanie Stokes (Dan Shea) of Metairie, La.; and three grandchildren, Kabira Stokes Hochberg of Los Angeles and Daniel John Shea III and Catherine Marie Shea of Metairie.

Visitation will begin at 10:00 A.M. with Funeral Services beginning at 11:00 A.M. Friday, March 28, 2014 at BRINGHURST FUNERAL HOME AT WEST LAUREL HILL CEMETERY, 225 Belmont Avenue, Bala Cynwyd, PA, interment to immediately follow. Contributions in her honor may be made to The Food Trust, One Penn Center, Suite 900, 1617 John F. Kennedy Blvd. Philadelphia, PA 19103.

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