Barbara Jean Hawkins Stites

Barbara was born on June 17, 1939, in Collbran, Colorado to James Byron and Marian Eleanor (Crawford) Hawkins. She passed away on March 19, 2025, in Salt Lake City, Utah after a short struggle with pulmonary issues.

Barbara was raised on a dairy farm in Collbran. Her first few school years were spent at the Little Creek School next door to their family farm. She loved her teacher Mrs. Tupper, and going to school with her two best friends, her sister Carol and her neighbor Beverly McKelvie. She doted on her little brothers Jimmy and Danny. She adored her parents and grandparents and looked forward to family picnics and holiday dinners with them and her aunts, uncles, and cousins. If Barbara wasn’t in school, she could be found sitting in an apple tree reading a book and munching on green apples. She was also known to be a bit of a prankster and loved to play tricks on Carol, including dumping water out the upstairs window on Carol and her dates at the front door.

Barbara graduated from Plateau Valley High School in 1956 as the salutatorian of her class. She attended Western State College in Gunnison for just over a year before she married Richard Stites on December 29, 1957. Richard was four years older than Barbara and they had known each other in high school, but there was something about Richard’s Navy uniform that turned her head in college. They began their family life in San Diego, CA while Richard finished his commitment to the U.S. Navy. They made their way back to Grand Junction and then to Collbran where two children were born: a son, James, and a daughter, Anita.

Barbara and Richard began their own construction business of laying high-pressure gas lines, building roads, and carving out ski runs. Barbara handled all of the office work for the business which included over 60 employees at various times. Barbara was proud of the fact that she never missed a payroll deadline in 50 years of business. For the last 15 years of their working careers, Barbara owned her own company and Richard worked for her. Auditors came from Denver to determine whether Barbara actually ran the company as women-owned businesses were able to receive priority consideration for job contracts. They were prepared to stay a week. After one day, the auditors were convinced that Barbara was the business owner and knew every detail, transaction, and strategic decision that kept things running.

Barbara adored her kids and loved being involved in their activities. Both kids participated in 4H and she became a leathercraft leader which she enjoyed. Band concerts, sports events, school plays, county fairs…Barbara was front and center…or standing in the doorway if the game was close. During this time a dear family friend (Sally Henderson) gave her the nickname “Babs.” It stuck. She was Babs to everyone but family from then on.

Once Jim and Anita left for college in Utah, Barbara began her road trips to Salt Lake City. These continued for the next 40 years. When her grandchildren arrived, her trips to SLC became more frequent, as well as their trips to Collbran to see their grandparents.

Barbara loved her home on the hill above town. She took care of the lawn and had a beautiful flower garden and a large vegetable garden. She recruited her children to work in the garden, which was met with some resistance at times. On one occasion, as Jim leaned on his hoe for too long, Barbara hurled a clod of dirt in his direction. In normal circumstances, anything thrown by Barbara would land aimlessly far from its destination; however, in this moment, the clod hit its target in the head. Jim dropped to the ground. Apparently, there was a rock in the clod. Jim has used this experience to his advantage over the years, much to his mother’s consternation and laughter.

Some of Barbara’s favorite times were sitting on the patio looking across the valley. One of her final wishes was that the lawn at home be well cared for. In addition to her gardens, Barbara was never without a book, a love she inherited from her mother and then passed on to her children. She created beautiful, detailed cross-stitch work which she shared with family and friends. In later years, Barbara enjoyed a weekly game of cards with some of her favorite people: Bernetta Charlesworth, Louise Kelley, and Eleanor Nichols. She also loved lunches with her good friend Mary Nichols and conversations at the hair salon with Penny Maiggater. Barbara and Richard also took pleasure in weekly dinners at Vega Lodge at their reserved table in front of the window overlooking the reservoir.

Very few things, however, could interrupt Barbara’s dedication to her sports teams…the Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Rockies, Colorado Avalanche, any college team from Colorado…and, of course, the University of Utah. She was not a fair-weather fan. She was all in, all of the time. Barbara loved sports and could talk trade happenings and scores with the pros. She followed all of the PVHS sports and most of the Western Slope as well. It was common for her to have a game on the TV and another going on her iPad.

Barbara is survived by her two children, Jim Stites and Anita (Richard) Rowland, two adored grandchildren, Parker (Madison) Rowland and Landon Rowland, and her new great-granddaughter, Emerson Jean Rowland. She is also survived by her beloved brother Dan (Linda) Hawkins of Montrose, CO. She loved her Clifton nephews and niece: Randy (Stephanie), Robin, Roger, Ralph (Leslie), Rick, and Raquel. Barbara was preceded in death by her husband Richard, her parents, brother Jimmy, sister Carol, and niece Raquel.

According to Barbara’s wishes, there will be a graveside service only. Interment will be on April 24, 2025, at 1 pm at Cedar Crest Cemetery in Collbran, CO. Family and friends are invited. Additional parking is available at the Stites home next to the cemetery. After the service, please gather on Barbara’s patio for some refreshments and reminiscing. (In case of inclement weather, the service and refreshments will be held at the Collbran Congregational Church.)

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Barbara’s favorite charity, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, which she consistently supported.

The family would like to thank the Spring Gardens Assisted Living staff for their kindness and care, and Wasatch Lawn Mortuary for their professional guidance and support during this time.