The Dallas County Sheriff’s Department lost one of their own early Thursday when Deputy Troy Stokes lost his battle to esophageal cancer. It was a battle he had waged since October, garnering strength from friends, family and members of the sheriff’s department.

“Troy is in a better place right now,” Chief Deputy Randy Pugh said. “Troy is a good friend of mine. We go back a long way and we will miss him a lot.”

Funeral services for Stokes, 53, will be Saturday, Feb. 19, at 2 p.m. at Elkdale Baptist Church with the Rev. Cory Horton officiating.

He leaves behind his wife, Melissa, son, Alex, and daughters, Raegen, Amber and Savannah.

In a story with the Times-Journal in October, Stokes said he had discovered what he was thought to have been cancer more than two years ago, but a misdiagnosis caused him not to begin cancer treatments until August.

After the diagnosis, and aggressive treatments to battle the stage four cancer, which had then spread throughout his body, Stokes went on medical leave from the department.

“He’s one of ours and that’s why we’re supporting him and doing what we can for him,” Pugh said at the time.

Groups in Valley Grande and throughout the area arranged fundraising events, such as cookouts and motorcycle rides to raise money to help the family offset some of the medical costs.

As part of his treatment, Stokes and his wife, made trips to the Cancer Treatment Center of America in Illinois.

“People have just come out from everywhere with their generosity, their prayers, just being so kind to us,” Melissa said in October. “This is amazing … it brings tears to my eyes to know that so many people are so loving and that they’ll do so much for people.”

Visitation will be prior to funeral services, beginning at 1 p.m. at Elkdale. Internment will be in New Live Oak with Selma Funeral Home directing.