Jayne Hockman died peacefully in her home on Thursday, October 29, 2020. Born in Paris, Texas on September 27, 1949, Jayne came to Yuma at the age of 11 years old, attended 4th Ave. Jr. High and graduated from Yuma High School in 1967. After high school, she immediately started working for Mountain Bell Telephone Co. She always was thankful and gave credit for her hiring to fellow Mountain Bell employee and well known member in the Yuma community, Bertha Solomon.
Jayne started out as a switchboard operator, later she became a frame technician. She then went out in the field as an installer for the remainder of her career. She retired in 2000 after 32 years of service with the company.
When Jayne was not working, she was playing her favorite sport, softball. Jayne was very athletic and also enjoyed playing basketball, as well as hunting, fishing and riding ATVs.
They did not have any organized woman's sports at the high school level prior to Jayne's graduation, therefore, she started playing fastpitch with the City of Yuma leagues. Jayne was a catcher for the Women's Fastpitch team, the Ebonettes. When the fastpitch league was disbanded, Jayne pitched for the slow pitch teams, Glen Curtis and JD Braden Machinery.
In 1990, Jayne pitched for Glen Curtis during the National Tournament in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She pitched for 11 straight games to help them win the championship and was named to the all-star team.
After Jayne retired, she took up her next favorite pastime, watching TV. Jayne said that she had to make up for the 32 years she missed because she had to work. She enjoyed her westerns and crime dramas. Jayne also loved to listen to 50s music and was an avid "Motown" fan. Jayne also had a great love for animals. She loved to go to Sea World and the San Diego Zoo. Jayne had a special love for tigers. She would often donate to wildlife organizations and facilities that cared for big cats.
Jayne is survived by her two brothers, Robert and Eddie Hockman, two nephews, Ronnie and Greg Hockman, and one surviving uncle, Gene Hockman. Jayne was preceded in death by her father, Elmer Hockman and mother, Geraldine Hockman, both of Yuma.
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