oath of office during the opening of the 2007 legislative session Jan. 10, 2007 in Annapolis, Md.
Stukes died Sept. 21, 2024, at the age of 76.. (AP Photo/Chris Gardner)
By Catherine Pugh
Special to the AFRO
Homecoming services for Melvin L. Stukes were held Oct. 8 at the Union Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Randallstown, Maryland. The former Baltimore City councilman and member of the Maryland House of Delegates died unexpectedly at his home in Pikesville during the morning of Sept. 21. He was 76.
Rev. Cordell E. Hunter Sr., presiding elder emeritus of the Baltimore Conference of the A.M.E. Church, officiated over the ceremonies.
Several dignitaries, family members and friends attended the homegoing service for Stukes, including retired Maryland Supreme Court Chief Judge Robert Bell, former Baltimore City Comptroller Joan Pratt, former Baltimore City Police Commissioner Leonard Hamm, Maryland lobbyist Bruce Bereano, House of Delegate member N. Scott Phillips, D-Dist. 10, and Baltimore City Councilwoman Phylicia Porter, D-Dist. 10.
Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller was introduced by the Speaker of the House of Delegates Adrienne Jones after she applauded the work of Stukes, a former delegate. “He was a hard worker who cared about the people he represented,” Jones said.
Miller presented a citation to the family on behalf of Gov. Wes Moore, Jones and herself. The lieutenant governor, who also served alongside Stukes in the House of Delegates, also told stories that reminded people of the man they knew.
“‘Pops’ is what we affectionately called him,” she said. “I recall the many times that Pops was called to give a prayer in the House of Delegates. Everyone in the house chambers, including the reporters, the guests, the pages, the speaker of the House and all 141 delegates, braced ourselves, knowing what was coming next.”
“He had a way of turning a simple prayer into a lasting experience, one that compelled all of us to stand up [and] hold hands across the aisle during the entirety of his prayer,” she continued. “And those who know Pops know that Pops was never short of words. It was classic Pops reminding that prayer isn’t just listened to, it is felt; and it moves through us, connecting us in ways that words alone cannot. It was a simple but powerful gesture of touch that we were all in together; connected with a shared responsibility to lift each other up and not tear each other down despite our political differences. That was Pops.”
Bruce Bereano, a lobbyist in Annapolis, said, “I saw firsthand the commitment he had to his district, his dedication. He was all about service; that is why he was elected over and over again. May he rest in peace.”
Councilwoman Felicia Porter, who represents the 10th District of Baltimore, which Stukes also represented as a councilman and delegate, said, “I am here out of gratitude for the work he has done. I have great respect for him. He was a dedicated public servant.”
Family members and friends, one by one, spoke of Stukes’ dedication to his community while he was in office and even after he retired from public service, including Peggy Jackson-Jobe, chair of the Cherry Hill Community Coalition.
Numerous citations were presented to the Stukes family from political and community leaders, among them Congressman Kweisi Mfume and Mayor Brandon Scott.
The sermon was delivered by Rev. Raymond F. Edmonds Jr., pastor of Union Bethel A.M.E. Church. That was followed by the interment at Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery in Owings Mills, Maryland.
The post Former Baltimore lawmaker Melvin Stukes laid to rest appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
