Keith Stokes remembered as avid supporter of agriculture, for his willingness to serve others
"With Keith, the thing that stuck with you was his willingness to serve any time you needed him." — Deacue Fields
By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Aug. 23, 2023
Fast facts:
- Stokes raised Razorback mascots
- California native loved farming in Arkansas
(280 words)
Newsrooms: With file art of Stokes)
DARDANELLE, Ark. — The first things you noticed about Keith Stokes were the kind eyes and smile that always shone below the broad brim of his cowboy hat.
And it was hard not to notice. Stokes seemed to be everywhere in Arkansas. He was at field days, groundbreakings and meetings of all sorts — any event where agriculture mattered. Stokes — a farmer, Razorback-mascot-keeper, and aide to Sen. Tom Cotton — passed away on Aug. 18. He was 59.
“With Keith, the thing that stuck with you was his willingness to serve any time you needed him,” said Deacue Fields, head of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “He was definitely someone you could depend on and he’d always follow through. And he was always willing to help and support the Division of Agriculture.”
Chuck Culver, director of external relations for the Division of Agriculture, remembered Stokes as a strong advocate not only for the agriculture industry, but also for its people.
“Keith made everyone feel like they were his best friend. He epitomized public service. And he especially loved being an ambassador for agriculture and the Razorbacks,” Culver said.
Cotton said that “our state, its farmers ranchers and foresters, and our Senate office had no better friend and champion than Keith Stokes.”
Sen. John Boozman said, “Cathy and I are heartbroken at the loss of Keith Stokes – Mr. Razorback, as I liked to call him. Humility, passion for agriculture, and dedication to serving U of A as the caretaker of Tusk all defined Keith's life and work, a true Arkansan. Our prayers are with all his loved ones.”
Services for Stokes were held Tuesday at the Dardanelle Community Center.
Read about how Stokes became the Tusk caretaker.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension
Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division
of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture,
visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen
agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption
of best practices. The Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work
within the nation’s historic land grant education system through the Agricultural
Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas
System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension
and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex,
gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital
or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and
is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media contact: Mary Hightower
mhightower@uada.edu