Carol Stockman has died. She was a former Berrien County Treasurer who was active politically and who founded Carol’s Hope in St. Joseph. Congressman Fred Upton tells us Stockman was his first campaign chair.
“Her family, the Stockman Farm, of course, are longtime Berrien County residents, longtime public servants,” Upton said. “She, as well as her father, were Berrien County Treasurers for decades. She set the bar.”
Upton said he relied on Stockman’s advice. He says if you had her support, you were “golden.”
“She was so humble. She was down to Earth. She saw through political rhetoric. She had pretty good national standing. Former Republican presidents called her, she was a national delegate. She was certainly a leader in the state of Michigan, but on the national stage as well.”
Upton says Stockman was the matriarch of one of the most-respected families in southwest Michigan. Al Stockman Stadium in St. Joseph is named for her husband. Upton says her legacy will live well into the future.
Upton issued a statement:
“Carol A Stockman was the matriarch of a most-respected family in southwest Michigan. For decades her political expertise and support was sought by national as well as local leaders. Never did she fail the voters herself as a candidate being elected and re-elected without serious opposition. Her fiscal skills as long-term Berrien County Treasurer were envied by peers across the State.
“As my first campaign Chair and many subsequent re-election Chair, she was responsible for keeping the wheels on the track and I sought her advice to the very end of her life. But much more than her political skills, it was her down-to-earth way she led her life as a mom, wife, and dear friend to so many that earned the love and trust by so many.
“We all strive to make this a better place than we found it. She earned the “right” years ago to simply retire and rest on her laurels to enjoy just her family and the land that she lived on…. but no, her work to better St. Joe and Benton Harbor and raise significant funds to help so many families deal with the ravages of drug addiction which took her own grandson will continue her legacy well into the future.”
