By Sophia Chang and Peter A. Sutters, Jr.
During the funeral service, Stocker's casket was placed in the aisle between the church's pews and surrounded by family members. Christine Santiago, a friend, delivered a heartfelt eulogy as her hands shook. “She was an incredible woman who loved us with all her heart,” Santiago said. “She left us too quickly, too unexpectedly, but she was the glue that held us together.”Stocker, who was 50, was crossing 29th Avenue and Francis Lewis Boulevard around 7 p.m. on Jan. 11 when she was struck by a vehicle, police said. She was getting off a bus when she was hit by a vehicle making a left turn, according to the city Department of Transportation. There were no arrests.Stocker had lived with her partner JoAnn Ambrosino a few blocks away from the scene of the accident on Jordan Street since 1980, family said.”Her office chartered buses, and people came from all over, from grammar school to college,” to the wake and funeral,” said Ann Marie Ambrosino, her stepdaughter. “It was very touching. She was an amazing friend, and it was unbelievable to see these people.”Stocker, who had worked at Time Inc. for 11 years as a promotion copywriter in the consumer marketing department, had also written a novel. Published in 2003 and called “P-Town Summer,” Stocker wrote about lesbian women spending the summer in the Cape Cod resort town of Provincetown, family said. She was three chapters into an untitled second book and had heard “good news” from a publishing company that was interested in her work. “She was just a very friendly, outgoing person,” said Peter Vincent, human resources vice president at Time Inc. “She always had a smile.”JoAnn Ambrosino had been with Stocker for nearly 25 years, with an anniversary celebration planned for May, family said.Stocker was an unstintingly generous person, family said, even giving of her body. She was a constant blood donor, and was going to be a bone marrow donor in the coming weeks for a sick friend, Ambrosino said. “She gave her friend life.”She took a homeless couple under her wing that she saw daily on her way to work, giving them money and even helping them move on a day off.”She was a people person,” Ambrosino said. “She would do anything for anybody, at any time of the day.”Stocker was politically active during the 2004 campaign, and was a part of out@timeinc, a support group for gay and lesbian staff at her company. A fan of the game show “Jeopardy!” and Broadway shows, especially “Cabaret” and “Carousel,” her favorite song was “Someone to watch over me” by the Gershwin brothers. “She loved show tunes,” Ambrosino said.Stocker was cremated in Middle Village, L.I. She is survived by her sister Suzanne Wallace, two nieces Kristin and Adrienne Wallace, her partner, JoAnn Ambrosino, and their children, Ann Marie Ambrosino, Michael Ambrosino and JoAnn Papadopoulos. Condolences may be e-mailed to talktomsa@cs.com.Reporter Matthew Monks contributed to this article.Reach reporters Sophia Chang or Peter A Sutters, Jr. by e-mail at news@timesledger.com, or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
