Consuelo Hawksby

Consuelo “Chelo” Hawksby, age 73 of Missouri City, Texas passed away on

September 25, 2020, and returned to her eternal home in heaven. She was born in Laredo, Texas to the late Felipa Degollado and the late Daniel Valdez, which became a family of 6 boys and 6 girls, the perfect dozen. She made her grand entrance into the world on July 4, 1947, and from that moment on her luminous sparkle and beautiful

presence could light up any room. We can take comfort at this time, knowing that she is now celebrating in heaven, free from physical pain, covered by the love of Jesus, rejoicing with the angels and her parents, dancing cumbias with her sisters Mere, Nora, and Licha, hugging her brothers Javier, Pancho, Danny, and Victor, laughing with

her best friend Amy Coleman again, and reunited with so many other family members and friends. She also has her fur baby Hershey back in her arms, and is covered with God’s peace and mercy.

Chelo was blessed with an amazing gift of teaching children and mentoring others. She graduated from Martin High School, and worked hard towards her dream of becoming a bilingual teacher. She attended Laredo Junior College, and earned her degree in 1970 through a special teaching program offered by the University of Texas A&I. During

college, she was a member of the Alpha-Gamma sorority club, and participated in many charitable programs with them which helped underprivileged children get an education. She started her career as a first grade bilingual teacher at St. Peter’s School in Laredo, TX. From then on, she dedicated 30+ years teaching children from kindergarten to second grade, and was very fortunate to help so many children and adults learn English.

She met her life-long husband Edward Hawksby on his birthday, while he was stationed at the Laredo Air Force Base. They spent their first two years dating, dancing at the base, also keeping a long distance relationship when he moved back to New York, finally he asked for her hand in marriage, and made it official on July 21,1973. They started

their married life in Brooklyn, NY, where Chelo worked as a bilingual 1st grade teacher at a neighborhood Catholic School. They decided to move back to Texas a few years later, and bought their first home in Missouri City to start a family of their own. They had two beautiful children together, Christina Katherine and Edward Daniel. She was the most amazing mom ever, their perfect role model, and their best friend.

Chelo loved her children and grandchildren very much, and would give that same love and dedication to each of her students, family members, and friends. She also was a mentor to the teacher’s aides and a counselor to the teachers just starting out. She loved helping them set up their classrooms and curriculums. It would make us so proud to hear from those same adolescents, teenagers, and grown adults, which she previously taught and mentored, thanking her years later for all she did to help them succeed in school and in their lives. Teaching was her passion, her life, she taught from the heart, and made a

difference in every life she ever touched. There’s no doubt in our mind, that she’s happily teaching, singing, and dancing with the children in heaven right now.

Chelo was a light to everyone she met, she was the glue that held our family together, she was the dancing queen at all of our fun family parties (even her wheelchair didn’t stop her from getting her groove on and making us laugh), she was the hug that made you feel safe and abundantly loved, she was the person that always encouraged you to do

your best and to never give up, she was the strength and the driving force for so many. Although she had to endure quite a bit of physical pain towards the end of her life, she still continued to put everyone else’s needs above her own, always praying for us, and encouraging us until the very end.

She will always hold a special place in so many people’s hearts - of all ages and all walks of life - and we are all a better person in some way from what she taught us through her giving heart, great humor, creative art projects, love for the Beetle’s, awesome dance

moves to Mambo #5, her crazy holiday hats and costumes, love for family game nights, but most importantly through her strength in the end. No matter how bad the doctor’s reports were, she never gave up for all of us, always trying to do her best, no matter how difficult or painful the circumstances.

Chelo would want us to draw strength through the many happy memories shared with her, to try to be the change the world needs right now, and to begin each day with a grateful and faithful heart. She would tell us to give freely of our quality time to our loved ones, to smile and laugh often, to forgive more and worry less, to never lose faith

or hope because the biggest blessings are just ahead, to never stop trying until you finally succeed at what makes YOU truly happy, to stress less because as she loved to say to us “Don’t worry, it will all come out in the wash at the end”, to put God first, and the rest

will fall into place.

She is survived by her husband Edward, her son Boo, her daughter Chrissy, her daughter-in-law Venessa, her grandkids Sean, Caelyn, and Mariam, her sisters Pita and Mimi, her brothers Juan and Carlos, her fur babies/grandbabies Candy, Jake, Zeus, Sunny, Luna, and Gigi. She also leaves behind many loving relatives and close friends. She will be forever missed but never forgotten.

Thank you for all the love, prayers, and kindness that you have shown our family during this difficult time. We truly appreciate it.

We are respecting Chelo’s final wishes at this time, and are planning a beautiful Celebration of Life service for her in the near future. We will be sure to keep the family and close friends informed of her special memorial plans.

Please remember Chelo by one of her favorite scriptures: Isaiah 41:10

‘So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.'