We honor the long, vibrant, and uniquely storied life of Ivan Harvey Shokes, Jr. (“Harvey”), of Cocoa Beach, Fla., who left us on June 6, 2026, at age 90. His journey began on October 31, 1935, in Charleston, South Carolina, where he grew up with three younger siblings: sisters Carolyn Aletha Shokes and Charlotte Beverly Shokes, and his brother Ronald Clarke Shokes, who tragically passed away before adulthood.
From a young age, Harvey displayed the hallmark traits that defined his life. He cultivated his athletic abilities swimming the notoriously dangerous currents of the Wappoo Cut. Later, transitioning to golf, he once stunned a high school opponent by scoring one under par. His industrious entrepreneurial spirit also manifested early, whether recruiting his sister to sell boiled peanuts or cutting grass in the hot South Carolina sun.
After high school, Harvey served two years in the Marine Corps, funding his education at The Citadel under the Korean GI Bill. By his own admission, he was an undisciplined student in most subjects, but demonstrated a natural aptitude for math, ultimately earning a Bachelor of Science in physics. It was during his time at The Citadel that he met Constance (“Connie”) Fernandina Meyer at an Arthur Murray Dance Studio. The two eloped in 1958.
Upon graduating, Harvey worked at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, where he was recognized with an award for technical achievement by the U.S. Army Missile Command. As he liked to quip, even if something required a rocket scientist to understand, he actually was one. However, the greatest span of his career was spent in Langley, Virginia, where he served in the Central Intelligence Agency and, upon his retirement, received a personal letter of thanks for his service from CIA Director William Casey.
Following his retirement, Harvey and Connie settled in Cocoa Beach, Florida. There, he resumed the real estate investing he first practiced in Alabama and spent many an hour trading, or as he called it, “playing,” the stock market. Until his passing, he remained a passionate reader of scientific magazines, deeply excited by the future of space exploration and artificial intelligence.
Harvey is survived by his children: Constance Lynette Shokes Wagner, Tamara Elaine Shokes, and Ronald Harvey Shokes; his grandchildren: Andrew, Lora, and Harrison Wagner; his great-grandchildren: Henley and Teagan Wagner; and his sister, Carolyn Shokes Sime. To his children, he leaves behind a legacy of intellectual curiosity, a wonder for unbounded possibilities, and—perhaps to varying degrees—a bit of stubbornness.
We ask that in lieu of flowers please make online gifts in memory of Harvey to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.