Jill Hawley Safi

On Saturday, the 3rd of October 2026, our family said goodbye to Jill, the heart of our family, who passed away from pancreatic cancer. She was 66 years of age. Jill left this world peacefully, surrounded by family, close friends, and an extraordinary amount of love. Her absence leaves an emptiness that words cannot describe, felt not only by her family but by the countless people whose lives were made better simply because Jill was part of them.

Her passing comes less than one year after the loss of her beloved son, Keith. Losing them both within such a short time has brought a depth of grief that cannot be measured. Yet even within that grief, our faith continues to sustain us, as does the belief that a mother who spent nearly a year grieving for her son has now been reunited with him.

Jill was born on the 21st of August 1960, in Midland, Texas. She graduated from Lee High School in 1978 and then attended Texas A&M University, where she earned a degree in Business Administration in 1982. Her professional journey was as varied as her interests, taking her through roles as a petroleum landman, restaurant manager, account manager with the FDIC, and paralegal for Marathon Oil. Ultimately, she found her true calling in education, where her natural ability to encourage, challenge and connect with young people made teaching far more than just a career.

Jill was a force of nature with an enormous heart, an independent spirit, an infectious sense of humor, and an extraordinary ability to recognize potential in others. She recognized strengths others overlooked in themselves and believed in their potential with unwavering conviction. Anyone who received one of her famous Jill lectures knew that her encouragement sometimes came with a healthy dose of unsolicited advice. But behind every lecture was a woman who cared deeply and wanted nothing more than to see the people she loved thrive.

Her love extended far beyond her immediate family. Jill was a wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, neighbor, colleague, teacher, volunteer and mentor. Friends became family, neighborhood children found another home, and students found someone who cared about their lives long after they left her classroom. Jill had a way of drawing people into her orbit and making them feel that they belonged.

She shared her life with her husband, George, who adored her, and together they built a family that brought her great joy. She loved being Keith and Lindsey's mother. Then Cameron came into Lindsey's life, and Jill quickly claimed him as her own. He was more than a son-in-law to Jill, he was her bonus son. Motherhood did not end when her children grew up, Jill simply found new ways to mother them.

Then came Ava and Weston, her grand-twins, and Jill discovered an entirely new kind of love. She wanted to be part of everything, the ordinary days as much as the milestones, and poured herself into their lives. They were loved fiercely and unconditionally, and they knew it. Although they deserved many more years with their grandmother, she somehow filled them with enough love to last a lifetime.

Jill's instinct to encourage young people was also at the heart of her work as an eighth-grade science teacher at Dean and Aragon Middle Schools. She understood that teaching was about far more than delivering a lesson. She spent long hours finding ways to make science understandable, interesting and relevant, particularly for students who needed extra encouragement. She stressed the importance of learning not only because it could improve her students’ future prospects, but also because education would give them a deeper understanding and appreciation of the world around them. Most importantly, she wanted them to believe in themselves.

Her nurturing instincts were not limited to people. Animals were among Jill's great loves. Over the years she adopted, cared for, fostered and rescued animals, including feral kittens she patiently taught to trust people. At last count, she had two dogs and three cats, though she undoubtedly would have welcomed more.

Music was woven throughout Jill’s life. Her eclectic playlists could move from Boston, STYX and Queen to Simon & Garfunkel, Imagine Dragons, Lady Gaga, and Loreena McKennitt. She loved musicals, learned lyrics, and happily sang along. Her favorite songs were played at two volume levels: loud and louder.

Jill was endlessly curious about the world and the people in it. She loved books, movies and learning, and never missed an opportunity to hear someone's story or share one of her own. She was effortlessly funny, armed with a sharp wit and a healthy dose of sarcasm.

Adventure was never far from her mind. Her final family trip was to Florida, where she fulfilled a longtime dream of swimming with manatees, an experience that now holds even greater meaning to her family. Travelling to Antarctica and Africa, parachuting, and riding some of the world's most extreme roller coasters were still waiting on her bucket list. Jill’s bucket list was ambitious because her appetite for life was insatiable.

Jill's greatest legacy was never about the places she travelled to or the things she accomplished. It was about the people she left better when than she found them. The students who believed in themselves because she did. The friends who found strength in her words. And the family whose lives will never be the same because she was theirs.

Perhaps the most meaningful way to honor Jill is to live with more of her spirit. Encourage others generously. Tell people what you admire about them. Believe in someone who hasn't quite learned to believe in themselves. Stay interested in the world. Laugh often, and give other people reasons to laugh with you. Care for the vulnerable. Question convention. Go somewhere you've never been. Learn something simply because you want to know it. Abandon inhibitions. Turn up a song you love and sing along.

And when given the choice between merely existing and truly experiencing life, choose the latter. That is how Jill lived.

Jill's time with us was far too short, but her influence will continue through the lives she changed, the lessons she taught, and the love she leaves for future generations.

She was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Samuel and Genevieve Hawley; and her beloved son, Keith.

Jill is lovingly remembered by her husband, George Safi; her daughter, Lindsey Del Favero and her son-in-law, Cameron; her grandchildren, Ava and Weston Del Favero; her sister, Gail Hankinson and her brother-in-law, Steve; her brother-in-law, Tony Safi (Charlotte); sisters-in-law, Leila Hobson, and Tammy Safi; nephews, Brandon Hankinson (Kylie), Robert Safi, and Bryan Safi; nieces, Michelle Schneider (Matthew), Brooke Webster (Ryne), Caroline Safi, Sarah Hobson (Beau Tschirhart), and Christine Hobson (Josh Rippie); and cousins, Nancy Scott (John), Debbie Keach (Don), Dave Randall, and Richard Carl Armstrong (Sara Sue); along with many other relatives.

The family is deeply grateful for the tremendous kindness, prayers, memories and support received during this extraordinarily difficult time. Every story shared about Jill has offered another reminder of the breadth of her influence and of how fortunate we were to call her ours.

A memorial service celebrating Jill's life is to be conducted at eleven o'clock in the morning on Saturday, the 17th of October, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston, where the Rev. Kathleen Davies is to officiate.

Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception to be held in the adjacent grand foyer.

"Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice." — John 16:22

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude if you would consider making a memorial contribution in Jill’s honor to UNICEF USA, the Houston SPCA, or a charity meaningful to you.

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