Paula Schnebly Hokanson born January 4, 1937, granddaughter of Sedona Schnebly, her paternal grandmother for whom the town Sedona, Arizona was named, passed away December 9, 2013 in her home in Tucson, Arizona. Born at a Presbyterian Mission Hospital in Rehoboth, New Mexico, as there were no hospitals on the reservation where her father was teaching, she spent her earliest years in northeastern Arizona. During World War II, she moved to Moffet Field, California, where her father served in the Marine Corps and her mother assisted in the war effort. Her four years in California were the only years she resided outside of her beloved Arizona. Paula received her teaching degree at age 21 from Arizona State College (now Northern Arizona University) where she met and married her husband of 57 years, John E. Hokanson. Their first teaching jobs were in Winslow, Arizona where she taught kindergarten. She and John moved to Tucson in 1963 where they continued their careers in education and raised three daughters. In addition to her loving husband John, Paula is survived by her older brother, Larry Schnebly and sister-in-law, Lee Schnebly of Tucson, and her older sister, Patricia Ceballos Schnebly of Winslow. She is preceded in death by her parents, Ellsworth and Lucille Schnebly. Paula is also survived by her three daughters, Mel Richey (Bud) of Memphis, Tennessee, Celeste Lewellen (Tom) of Scottsdale and Lyric Naquin (Gary) also of Scottsdale. Mel and Bud are the parents of John Price, 14, a student at Concord Academy. Celeste and Tom are the parents of McKenna, 21, and Hannah, 19 both students at Rhodes College in Memphis. Lyric and Gary are the parents of Cadiene, 20, a student at Columbia University in New York, and Grayson, 17 a student at Notre Dame Prep, headed to West Point Military Academy. Paula was particularly proud of her grandchildren's education given her longstanding commitment to early childhood education and 30 years of dedicated service to the profession. Paula was grateful and appreciative of the Christian communities to which she belonged including Catalina United Methodist Church, Desert Skies United Methodist Church, and PEO. In lieu of flowers, Paula asked that gifts be shared with the PEO Sisterhood, Desert Skies United Methodist Church or the Sedona Historical Society. A Memorial Service is scheduled for Saturday, December 21, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at Desert Skies United Methodist Church, 3255 N. Houghton Road in Tucson. Arrangements by EAST LAWN PALMS MORTUARY.
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