Maxine Hannifin

Civic leader, Artist, Oil Business Executive, passed away May 1, 2026 peacefully in her sleep at home.

Maxine was born October 14, 1927 in Fort Scott Kansas to Arthur and Pauline Benson.

Maxine and her younger sister Lorene attended public schools in a number of schools as her father was alternatively in business and the United States Army. She Finished up High School in Roswell NM, and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Sacramento CA.

She married Robert (Bob) Hannifin in 1952 and remained married until his death in 2009. As, wife, mother and domestic engineer, Maxine and Bob raised their sons, Mark, Matt and Daniel, moving to New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota, Kansas, Louisiana and finally Texas as Bob’s career required.

Throughout it all, Maxine was a steadfast supporter of both Bob and each of her boys in their endeavors.

Once settled in Midland for good, with the kids fleeing the nest, Maxine started looking for outside endeavors to help and assist, including:

Sunday School at First Presbyterian, Boy Scouts, as a Charter Member of Midland Crime Stoppers, helped establish the Center for Battered Women (now Safe Place), First Women Civilian Appointee to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Education. Block Captain for Neighborhood Watch for 20 years. In the early 2010’s she became involved with supporting the Free Wheelchair Mission which has now provided over 1 million wheelchairs people in 91 countries with no access. Not content with that mission, she also ramrodded the collection for donations to build 6 large village water well systems in Uganda through the Presbyterian Church Vacation Bible School and other (Bob) donors.

Throughout her life, Maxine retained an interest and experimented with a number of the arts, painting, drawing, sculpting, pottery and even tried her hand at writing a short story. She also served as an officer in the Midland Pallet Club, and In 1998, training with Alex Dzigurski, she made significant improvements in style and techniques in oil painting.

As a supporter of education in all forms, she and Bob set up scholarships at Midland College and New Mexico Military Institute, as well as for her grandkids, nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.