Carole Jean Stockton

Carole Jean (Knottek) Stockton, 85, of Hershey, passed away Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at Hershey Medical Center following a valiant battle with multiple health issues.

Born January 21, 1941, at the hospital in Kittanning, she lived in Ford City with her late parents, Francis J. and Anna Mae (Mezoff) Knottek and graduated from Ford City High School in 1959. Following high school, Carol, or CJ as her friends knew her, attended Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Pittsburgh, and after 3 years of intense schooling and training, graduated with a BS in Nursing and became a Registered Nurse. Throughout the years, she worked at several hospitals: Washington DC General Hospital, Fairfax County Hospital in Fairfax, VA, and St. John’s Hospital in Joplin, MO, where she was one of the first nurses and helped get it started. She ultimately moved to Florida and retired from Lee Memorial Hospital in Ft. Myers.

Carole loved living in Florida, becoming a resident of 35 years and was a member of St. Cecilia Catholic Community in Ft. Myers. She cherished time with her friends in Ft. Myers; gardening and going to concerts, especially 80s pop stars and was so ingrained in that life that her grandchildren started to refer to her as “Florida” instead of Grandma.

In addition to gardening, she enjoyed reading – romance series and some paranormal themed books and watching movies and television mystery shows.

She was the widow of Burton B. Stockton, Jr., who passed away in 1984. In 2016, she moved to the Harrisburg/Hershey area to be closer to her son and joined St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Hershey.

In addition to her husband, Carole was preceded in death by an infant daughter: Kathleen Marie; brother: Francis “Frank” Knottek; and sister: Eleanore “Noree” Cockroft.

Surviving is her son: Burton B. “Rusty” Stockton, III and his wife, Stacey; grandchildren: Amanda Stockton, Brian Stockton, and Colin Stockton; step-grandchildren: Kelsey Vought and Bryce Bortner; great grandchildren: Avery Ensminger and Aubrianna Stockton; many nieces and nephews and their families; and her two grand-pups: AJ and Baron.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2:30 pm Saturday, October 24, 2026, at her church, 359 W. Areba Avenue, Hershey, where there will be a viewing from 1:30 pm until time of services.

Graveside services will be 12:30 pm Monday, October 26, 2026, at Holy Trinity Cemetery, Ford City, PA, where she will be laid to rest beside her beloved husband, daughter, and parents.

Contributions in her memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Kimmel Funeral Home, Harrisburg, is handling arrangements.