Ima Dell Avant
October 9, 1927 — May 3, 2022
Ima Dell Avant, age 94, passed away peacefully at her home in Las Cruces, New Mexico on May 3, 2022. She was born in Brownsboro, Texas on October 9, 1927, to John and Beckie Stokes. Dell was preceded in death by her brothers, Joe Irwin and Billy, her sister, Myrtis, her husband, Freeman and her daughter, Sharon. Dell or ‘Gigi' as she is known by her great granddaughters, Stella and...
Ima Dell Avant, age 94, passed away peacefully at her home in Las Cruces, New Mexico on May 3, 2022. She was born in Brownsboro, Texas on October 9, 1927, to John and Beckie Stokes. Dell was preceded in death by her brothers, Joe Irwin and Billy, her sister, Myrtis, her husband, Freeman and her daughter, Sharon. Dell or ‘Gigi' as she is known by her great granddaughters, Stella and Camille, is survived by her granddaughter, Deana and her grandson, Jeremy. Dell served as Vice President of First National Bank in Las Cruces for 38 years. At the time, she was the first woman to hold this title in the state of New Mexico. Prior to this role, she worked as a waitress in Los Lunas, NM. The trajectory of her banking career took flight when she attended banking school in Boulder, Colorado. Dell loved numbers, golf, playing cards, working in the yard, traveling, chocolate, slot machines, her dogs, the Dallas Cowboys, and her beloved New Mexico State Aggies. Upon moving to Las Cruces in 1958, Dell and Freeman became football and basketball season ticket holders for NMSU. Even after Freeman's passing in 1991, Dell continued her commitment to the Aggies through 2019; she holds the record for the longest tenured season ticket holder in Aggie sports history. Dell loved her family and loved helping others. She saw the best in people and would do all she could to help them reach their potential. Her zeal for life is a model on how we should approach each day, with passion, inte...
Ima Dell Avant, age 94, passed away peacefully at her home in Las Cruces, New Mexico on May 3, 2022. She was born in Brownsboro, Texas on October 9, 1927, to John and Beckie Stokes. Dell was preceded in death by her brothers, Joe Irwin and Billy, her sister, Myrtis, her husband, Freeman and her daughter, Sharon. Dell or ‘Gigi' as she is known by her great granddaughters, Stella and Camille, is survived by her granddaughter, Deana and her grandson, Jeremy. Dell served as Vice President of First National Bank in Las Cruces for 38 years. At the time, she was the first woman to hold this title in the state of New Mexico. Prior to this role, she worked as a waitress in Los Lunas, NM. The trajectory of her banking career took flight when she attended banking school in Boulder, Colorado. Dell loved numbers, golf, playing cards, working in the yard, traveling, chocolate, slot machines, her dogs, the Dallas Cowboys, and her beloved New Mexico State Aggies. Upon moving to Las Cruces in 1958, Dell and Freeman became football and basketball season ticket holders for NMSU. Even after Freeman's passing in 1991, Dell continued her commitment to the Aggies through 2019; she holds the record for the longest tenured season ticket holder in Aggie sports history. Dell loved her family and loved helping others. She saw the best in people and would do all she could to help them reach their potential. Her zeal for life is a model on how we should approach each day, with passion, intent, enthusiasm, and hope. No matter the circumstances she faced in life, these traits were ever-present. She found a way to press on and did so with a smile and a grateful heart. If you listen, you can still hear her infectious laugh. Aggie Up! We love you, Dell! Please join us for the graveside Memorial Service at Hillcrest Cemetery (5140 W. Picacho Ave.), Tuesday May 24, 10am, followed by a reception at the Barbara Hubbard Room on the second floor of the Pan American Center (enter on the first floor on the southwest side of the building). If lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Sharon Lee Avant Marketing Endowed Scholarship (established 2009) in the Department of Marketing at NMSU. Option #1 to donate online: Gifts can be made at https://advancing.nmsu.edu/givenow reference the Sharon Lee Avant Mktg End Scholarship or fund #983572. Option #2 of donation by Check: Make check payable to "NMSU Foundation" - please specify Sharon Lee Avant Mktg End Scholarship in the memo line. Mail to: NMSU Foundation, Inc. / Attn: Gift Processing PO Box 3590 / Las Cruces, NM 88003-3590 Interment Location
Tuesday, May 24, 2022 11:00am,
Hillcrest Memorial Gardens
Address Not Available
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