Charlotte L. Hawley

Charlotte Snelson Hawley, aged 75, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 22, with her family by her side. She was born to the late Harry Hensel “Buddy” Snelson and Julia (Burns) Snelson, who owned the locker plant on Snelson Drive off Alameda Ave in El Paso’s lower valley. A third- generation El Pasoan and a true child of the desert, Charlotte was always clamoring to get back to the mountains, beautiful sunsets, and real Mexican food when too long away from her beloved city. She graduated from Ysleta High School and was a Duchess in the 1967-68 Sun Carnival. Like her parents, Charlotte counted herself a life-long basketball fan, attending Texas Tech University and graduating from UTEP. She often told stories of the Don Haskins years and the 1966 season, when her alma mater, then known as Texas Western, won the NCAA Basketball Championship.

Charlotte had two careers over the course of her life, one as a claims adjuster at Farmers Insurance, another as a middle/high-school teacher. Her children remember the many body shops and wrecker yards they visited with Charlotte in their younger years, and her former colleagues revel in telling stories of the office pranks she either instigated or abetted. In her 20 years at Farmers, Charlotte rose to the ranks of branch claims manager. But Charlotte’s true calling in life was her work as a teacher. She loved and mentored her students as if they were her own children—always reminding them that she was “blonde, not stupid” when they tried to pull the wool over her eyes. Over her 20 years of teaching, she worked in the Canutillo, Ysleta, and Socorro districts. Upon notice of her passing, previous students from as far away as Hong Kong relayed stories of how much she meant to them, how indelible the impact she left on their lives. Charlotte would have been touched by their kind words.

As a wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, Charlotte poured her heart and soul into her personal relationships. She dearly loved her husband, John, who will forever remember her as the light of his life, the woman who made him a better man. They had many exciting adventures throughout their 47 years of marriage, relaxing at the beach, visiting the mountains, enjoying the company of friends at Vista Hills Country Club or Friday nights at Gil’s (now Las Palmas), and reveling at the Cinders New Year’s Eve parties. In the wake of certain escapades, she would never forget to stay away from Rusty Nails and Cosmos.

She spent countless hours driving and accompanying her children to golf tournaments around the country, supporting their golf careers through their elementary, middle, high school, and college years. In the summer, she was often found sitting under a tree reading a book or working a crossword puzzle while waiting for them to finish their tournaments. She was a voracious reader who loved Harry Potter, Jane Austen, art, history, genealogy, fashion, and interior design. Charlotte and her daughter attended every midnight book and movie release for Harry Potter, rushing home to read all night together. An animal lover throughout her life, she was fond of Afghan hounds and her standard poodle, Zoey. Later in life, she was able to take several trips to Europe with her daughter, which they both cherished. Both her son and daughter spoke to their mother almost every day, always reaching out to share the highs and lows of their day and check in on her. In 2017, she became a grandmother, calling it the most wonderful experience of her life. She adored her grandson and always showed the latest photo of him to her friends.

Charlotte had many friends throughout the El Paso community, who knew her as an avid bridge player and member of PEO, the Cielo Vista and El Dedon Verde garden clubs. Always the social butterfly, Charlotte was a warm and welcoming soul to everyone who knew her, even if you just met! She was treasured by her friends and loved ones for her beautiful smile, laughter, and kind heart.

Charlotte is survived by her husband John and children Andrew (Kasei Byford) of El Paso and Leslie (Michael Coutts) of Columbia, Missouri; one grandchild (Rowan); siblings Dyeanne Koller (Al) of Palatine, Illinois, Wally Snelson of Amarillo, Texas, and Becky Snelson of Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is also survived by many cousins, notably Laurie Ryan of Fort Worth, Texas, Donna (Michael) Armontrout, and Bill Carwell of Jonesboro, Arkansas, who meant the world to her.

A celebration of life service will be held 9:00am Thursday, January 19, 2023 at Funeraria Del Angel Central, 3839 Montana Avenue, El Paso, Texas 79903. The service will be livestreamed for those unable to join in person (https://www.facebook.com/fdacentral/) . Committal service will follow at 10:30am Thursday, at Ft. Bliss National Cemetery, 5200 Fred Wilson Avenue, El Paso, Texas 79906.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Charlotte Hawley may be donated to Hospice of El Paso, Inc., 1440 Miracle Way, El Paso, TX, 79925. The family cannot thank the wonderful staff at Hospice enough for their kindness in Charlotte’s final days.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.FunerariaDelAngelCentral.com for the Hawley family.