Claudia Stoker

Claudia Dell Stoker, 60, passed away on September 20, 2012 after a courageous battle with cancer. She had lived in Pocatello for over 30 years. Claudia was born in Spokane, Washington, on November 13, 1951, at Deaconess Hospital; she was the only child of Claude and Violet Bauer. Claudia graduated with honors from John R. Rogers High School in 1970, where she was a member of the National Honor Society and chosen to represent Rogers as 1970s Young Woman of Achievement. Claudia was the accompanist for a variety of musical groups while attending Rogers but was most active with the school choir. Claudia went on to attend Kinman Business University, studying in their legal secretarial program and finished the program in the spring of 1971. Claudia married David J. Moore, on June 3, 1971 and moved to San Clemente, California, where he was stationed as a Marine. The couple had their first child, John D. Moore, on April 7, 1972, and moved to Oceanside, California, while David finished out his enlistment with the Marine Corps. The couple then returned to Spokane where their second child, Jason T. Moore, was born on April 3, 1975. Claudia had many hobbies and interests while she was a young mothera�"crocheting, cross stitch, reading, and making clothinga�"but she particularly enjoyed home improvement. After the couple bought their first home, Claudia was always busy making changes, both in design and structure. When the couple's marriage ended in 1982, Claudia threw herself into her work. She had been working mostly part-time in the 70s due to being a mother with young children but began working full-time in the medical and mental health fields, where her career eventually took her to her final job working for the Department of Health and Welfare, Children and Family Services in Pocatello, Idaho. Claudia worked for the Department for 16 years, employed as an Administrative Assistant responsible for setting up the twice-yearly court hearings required for children in foster care. She retired in 2012. Claudia moved to Pocatello in 1987, where she lived the remainder of her life. She met her soulmate, David W. Stoker, in the summer of 1988 and the couple spent the next decades of their marriage enjoying each other, their family, and the many interests they had common to Southeast Idaho. In the early years of their marriage, they enjoyed going on cross-country motorcycle rides and to various motorcycle events. During this time, they were also very active with hunting, fishing, four-wheeling, camping, and enjoying the great outdoors. Claudia had a true passion for four-wheeling and taking beautiful rides over the many mountain trails in the area. Claudia and Dave bought a home together in the spring of 1990, which they spent their entire marriage remodeling. Claudia would come up with an idea and then they'd set about making it happen, whether on their own or with the help of a contractor. During the 21 years the couple lived in the home together, the running joke among family members was "wonder what the change will be the next time we visit?" No matter what the task put before her, Claudia always did her best. Whether it was a home, where she kept a spotless and lovely showplace, or at work, where she consistently achieved excellent reviews or her job performance, Claudia always put out her best effort. She was a devoted, loving wife, mother, and grandmother. Although distance was a factor in not seeing some family members as often as she would have liked, her family was always uppermost in her mind. Claudia will definitely be missed by those who knew and loved her. Claudia is survived by her husband, David Stoker, of Pocatello, Idaho; by her sons, John Moore and Jason Moore of Washington state; by her stepdaughter, Stefanie Powers and stepson, Michael Stoker, of Pocatello, Idaho; and by her 10 grandchildren: Brittany, Bryce, Kaylee, and Trinity Moore, of Washington state; Levi, Leah, Skyler and Parker Stoker, and Jozelyn and Cooper Powers, of Pocatello, Idaho. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 29, 2012, at Colonial Funeral Home, 2005 S. 4th Ave. A visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. prior to the funeral. Burial will follow services at Mountain View Cemetery.