Cordi Stokes, the oldest daughter of the late and former Cleveland Mayor Carl B. Stokes and a niece of retired U.S. Rep. Louis Stokes, dies

Cordi Stokes

The late Carl B. Stokes, who became the first Black mayor of a major metropolitan city when he was elected mayor of the City of Cleveland in 1967

Retired U.S. Rep. Louis Stokes, Carl Stokes' only sibling and the first Black congressman representing Ohio

Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Angela Stokes, a daughter of retired U.S. Rep. Louis Stokes and Cordi Stokes' first cousin

Cordi Stokes (far rt.), with her older brother Carl Stokes Jr., her mother Shirley, and her father Carl B. Stokes in earlier years

By Kathy Wray Coleman, Editor of Cleveland Urban News.Com and The Kathy Wray Coleman Online News Blog.Com (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com) and (www.clevelandurbannews.com)

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio-Cordi Stokes, the second child and oldest daughter of the late Carl B. Stokes, the former mayor of the city of Cleveland and the first Black mayor of a major metropolitan city, and a niece of retired U.S. Congressman Louis Stokes, was found dead in her Cuyahoga Falls apartment Mon. morning. She was 50.

The cause of death was from natural causes, the medical examiner's report said. She had battled heart disease and breast cancer for 10 years.

A divorcee, she leaves behind a daughter, Quinn McBee, from a previous marriage, her mother Shirley Sacks, three siblings (Carl Stokes Jr., Cordell Stokes and Cynthia Stokes) , a stepbrother (Sasha Kostadinov), and a host of other relatives, including Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Angela Stokes, a first cousin and one of Louis Stokes' four children.

Cordi worked in various capacities and more recently as an insurance agent.

Friends said that she had planned to move back to Cleveland in the coming months after her apartment lease was up.

She was active in politics and once ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Cleveland Board of Education.

She attended the State of the Union watch party on Jan 24 at the Obama campaign headquarters at Shaker Square in Cleveland.

Her father Carl, who died in 1996 of cancer of the esophagus, grew up in a Cleveland housing project.

His father died when he was three years old and he and his brother Louis were reared by their mother, who worked multiple jobs to make ends meet.

Carl Stokes was a state representative for three terms before his election to mayor in 1967. After serving one term as mayor and deciding against seeking reelection, he moved his family to New York so that he could become a New York anchorman, the first Black anchorman in New York history. He and Cordi Stokes' mother Shirley later divorced, and both later remarried.

After a successful media career he returned home and served as a Cleveland Municipal Court judge from 1983-1994. In 1994, former president Bill Clinton appointed him as Ambassador to the Republic of Seychelles.

His journey to become the first Black mayor of a major American city is outlined in his book titled "Promises of Power."

Community activists said that Cordi will be missed.

"I just talked to her last month about buying insurance," said Community Activist Ada Averhart. "Cordie was loved in the grassroots community and we will miss her."

Funeral arrangements are by Lucas Memorial Funeral Home in Garfield Hts., with a private funeral service Sat. afternoon at 4:00 pm and a repast at Touch of Italy restaurant in Shaker Hts. at 6:30 pm.

Reach Kathy Wray Coleman by email at kathy@kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, and by telephone at 216-932-3114.