James Moore Stokely

On the morning of Tuesday, January 23, 2024, JAMES MOORE STOKELY of Manassas, VA, passed away peacefully after a brief illness. Beloved husband of Mary Delia Beard Stokely; cherished father of Kathryn Stokely Powell and her husband, G. Brooks Powell III of Danville, VA, and John Matthews Stokely and his wife, Sarah Cleary Stokely of Arlington, VA; loving grandfather of Gordon Brooks Powell IV, Virginia Louise Powell and Samuel Woods Stokely; he was a nephew, cousin, classmate, coworker, neighbor, fellow firefighter, and friend to so many people who are dear to the family. James was never without a smile, and if you were with him, you were never without a friend. James was preceded in death by his mother, Ruth Emma Moore Stokely, and father, James Allen Stokely. Born on April 17, 1948 in Del Rio, Tennessee, James was primarily raised by his mother within her large southern family. A proud graduate of the Robert E. Lee (now John R. Lewis) High School in Springfield, VA, James loved organizing its class of ‘66 reunions. Lee High was where James met and began dating his lifelong sweetheart, Mary Delia Beard. A fellow high school classmate recently said that when she walked into the 50th reunion and saw James and Mary, she felt at home. James, also called Jim or Mo, earned his associate degree in business at Chowan College, attending one semester then taking the next semester off to work to pay for the following semester; a work ethic which served him well through the decades. On June 21, 1969, James and Mary wed at Pohick Church. The young couple settled near family in Old Town Manassas in 1973 and would create their life together focused on the community. Be it in the early days as the PTO President of Haydon Elementary School or on the tball field, meals and life events with friends, hours spent discussing local politics at kitchen tables or dropping everything to dash to the firehouse when the siren called, every day of James’ adult life was organized around making things better. James was exceptionally dedicated to his two 50-year careers - as an executive property and casualty insurance agent as well as a volunteer firefighter - ultimately combining them for the good of the Commonwealth of Virginia and its citizens. A Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and a Certified Professional Insurance Agent, James was a past President of The Independent Insurance Agents of Northern Virginia and was named Virginia’s Agent of the Year by the Insurance Association of Virginia. James also served on the Agents Advisory Board of the Utica Mutual Insurance Company and the USF&G Insurance Company, being featured in the Utica Mutual Insurance Company’s Annual Report as Agent of the Year. With his book of business already including individuals, corporations large and small, school boards, museums and localities, James developed a specialty insuring Fire & Rescue Departments, often working closely with VFIS to do so. Clients ranged from small volunteer fire departments to large municipal departments with local, state, and international exposures. He worked tirelessly, with finesse and prudent use of the public dollar, to insure the brave men and women who ran those units and all aspects of their operations. James largely retired from the insurance industry on December 31, 2019. During the same time, James voluntarily served the Manassas Volunteer Fire Company in all capacities possible for over 50 years - on the front lines, as both a line and administrative officer, including president of the company and chairman of its foundation board, training, at convention competitions, educating about Stop, Drop and Roll while visiting local classrooms in his gear, fundraising, restoring the company’s antique fire trucks, rallying support for those affected by fire and working politically on the local, state and federal levels. Among the first of many projects James’ leadership was recognized for was distributing more than 60,000 Tot Finder stickers, an internationally recognized fire-rescue symbol, across Northern Virginia in the mid-1970’s. Notably, James was credited with 1 “fire save” and 1 “water save” while a member of the MVFC. James’ involvement within the fire service expanded to statewide efforts, and in 2000, he was elected to the Virginia State Firefighters’ Association (VSFA) Hall of Fame for this work. While serving as the VSFA Board President from 2001-2002, in addition to effective leadership and management of his planned initiatives, James navigated the challenges of 9/11, including significant representation, advocacy, and legislative work for emergency service workers. James was a dedicated public servant to the Commonwealth, working across political lines for decades on behalf of insurance, volunteerism, fire, and emergency services through several governors’ appointments including the State Fire Services Board. He spent decades guiding and mentoring friends in these realms across the country. James poured himself into numerous pieces of legislation strengthening the Fire and Rescue Service and the communities in which they serve. He championed VOLSAP as well as the entire rewriting of the Workers’ Compensation laws in Virginia to make coverage available for its fire and rescue volunteers. The Virginia Insurance Commissioner’s Office often tapped his expertise involving insurance laws and the fire service. An outdoorsman and conservationist, James relished spending time with friends and family in its pursuits including his memberships in hunt clubs, on the grounds of the Manassas National Battlefield Park, on the beaches of Nags Head, North Carolina, and in his last chapter on the waters around a family retreat in Wicomico Church, Virginia. James enjoyed traveling, and in his later years, the boy from Del Rio and his lovely bride, Mary Delia, saw the world. A firefighter’s funeral officiated by The Rev. Vinnie Lainson has been planned for Monday, February 12, 2024, at PIERCE FUNERAL HOME, 9609 Center Street in Manassas, Virginia. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. The service will begin at 11:30 and will be live streamed on this webpage. Graveside immediately follows at the Old Town Manassas Cemetery. The family suggests that, in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Manassas Volunteer Fire Company at https://manassasfire.com or P. O. Box 46, Manassas, VA 20108.

James Moore Stokely

April 17, 1948 - January 23, 2024