2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 167
Celebrating the life of Yolanda Wyche Stokes.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 2, 2026
WHEREAS, Yolanda Wyche Stokes, a devoted wife and mother, esteemed public servant, and beloved member of the Hopewell community, died on December 23, 2025; and
WHEREAS, Yolanda Stokes was born in Richmond and graduated from Prince George High School in 1980 before studying business administration at Virginia State University (VSU), where she was a member of the VSU Gospel Chorale and the renowned Trojan Explosion marching band; and
WHEREAS, Yolanda Stokes dedicated herself to a number of endeavors over her professional career, including serving as a paralegal, a school bus driver with Prince George County and Hopewell, and a resident manager of local apartment complexes; and
WHEREAS, Yolanda Stokes worked tirelessly to help people in need in roles with the Hopewell Redevelopment and Housing Authority and the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority, for which she served as deputy director, as well as through her efforts with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Petersburg Social Services; and
WHEREAS, Yolanda Stokes was a longtime voting advocate who embraced her civic duty by serving as the director of the Hopewell Electoral Board and as the general registrar of the City of Hopewell; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of her leadership and service to the community, Yolanda Stokes was elected in 2024 to serve as the Ward 6 representative on the Hopewell City Council; and