About Me

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D. Leon Stokes, born in Lansing, MI, is an author, musician, and 41-year retired executive from General Motors. After previously publishing an essay in the Lansing State Journal honoring his late father, John E. Stokes, Leon has expanded on that inspiration, releasing his inaugural book “Are The Kids Okay: Life Lessons From A Great Man." This extraordinary book examines the life lessons passed on from an exceptional man to a grateful son.

Leon enjoyed a long and successful career in the automotive industry, highlighted by executive assignments in Quality Engineering and Global Validation. These roles afforded him the opportunity to travel and see the world through a different lens, developing an even greater appreciation of the sacrifices made by his father.

Leon has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University (previously known as General Motors Institute), and a Master of Science degree in Applied Statistics from Oakland University.

After 41 years of dedication and hard work, Leon retired from General Motors in June of 2020. He can now be found spending time with the love of his life, Yvette Robinson Stokes, reading fictional novels, and honing his musical skills as a pianist and bass guitarist.

My father, John Stokes, was a remarkable man. For as long as I can remember, to me he was the epitome of what a man should be.  He loved the Lord; loved, honored and respected his wife; was responsible and disciplined in all he did, and made the necessary sacrifices to care for his family in the manner he felt was needed. The way he lived his life, with integrity, respect for others and "doing the right things for the right reasons," endeared him to all who knew him. The impact it had on me as I matured was to shape the type of man I aspired to become. 

After my dad passed away in 1995, I wrote an essay that was published in the Lansing State Journal, expressing my love and respect for him, and how he had influenced me. "Are The Kids Okay?" is, in some ways, an extension of that essay. I have attempted to give a glimpse into the making of the man John Stokes was to become, and the honor and humility in how he lived his life. From his childhood in the Jim Crow deep south to his starting a family and eventually prospering in Lansing Michigan, the book accents each chapter with a description of life lessons that can be learned from how he approached and handled different situations. Writing the book was my way of honoring a great man, and also sharing his wisdom and humanity with those who didn't have an opportunity to know him.