Barbara Elaine (Evans) Clayshulte Hawkins was born February 22, 1933, in Clovis, New Mexico. She was the daughter of Leroy Milton Evans and Flora Jeanette Evans (Kanen). She died on September 14, 2022, at the age of 89 after a short illness. She survived two husbands, Nolan, and Robert. She has two sisters, Genie, and Anne (deceased). She is survived by three children (Kathy, Russell, and David), four grandchildren (Olivia, Vanessa, Mariah, and Katrina), and eight great-grandchildren (Reagan, James, Kaylee, Emerson, Elliott, Evellette, Gemma, and Fiona). She graduated from New Mexico State University with honors. She received a master’s in special education from University of New Mexico, again with honors. She spent her younger life as a New Mexican, then become a world traveler teaching with the Department of Defense. Beginning in Guam, then on to South Korea, Okinawa Japan, Germany, Russia, Iceland, Bermuda, two bases in Japan near Tokyo, and finally retired to Pensacola before ending up in Las Vegas. After considerable debate between her surviving children, we realize we cannot remember all the places or the sequence of tours. We all sometimes ask ourselves during her travel years, where in the world is Mom? There are hundreds of special needs children ranging from pre-school through high school that got their educational start and best, and sometimes only, chance at learning from Barbara. She had infinite patience for her children but had a fiery temper for those that got in her way. She had a passion for playing bridge, golf, elegance, military balls, painting, school events and good wine, okay margaritas were more important and a necessity.
We remember when we were young children trying our best to follow this fast-walking mother who took us rock hunting, to mines, across desserts, long forest trails, and high mountain lakes. She never slowed down and we will do our best to continue following our beloved fast-paced mother. Her wanderlust began early. As a small girl she took her doll and buggy to the top of a road construction cliff prepped for blasting. A shaky supervisor retrieved her, gave her candy before the scolding. She climbed onto a Navaho wagon and spent a day with her new family learning of their lives. Once at a train station as a small girl she walked up to the attack dogs, hugged their necks and was impossible to retrieve because they adopted her. Throughout her remarkable charismatic life there were strangers who adopted her, hugged her neck, and fiercely protected her.
How, best to summarize her 89 years – a life filled beyond capacity with family, living and loving? She toasted life in each place, in each moment, with all her family and extended families around the world.
She will be interred at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery next to her long-time friend, partner, and late husband Major Robert D. Hawkins. They toasted life. To send condolences, share a memory or just want more stories email a note to [email protected].
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