Jobeth Hawk

JoBeth Hawk, loving wife, mother, sister and daughter, passed away Sunday, February 12, 2017 at La Posada Mesilla Valley Hospice after a six-year battle with ovarian cancer. With her family by her side, she died peacefully at the age of 64. Born in Deming, NM in 1952, JoBeth was the third child of Joe and Verna Stell. Within two years the family would move to Carlsbad, NM where JoBeth would grow up and graduate from Carlsbad High School in 1970. She was very active in high school including running hurdles in track, Art Club, and being a Cavegirl. After high school, JoBeth attended Eastern New Mexico University becoming the first woman to complete the Industrial Arts program while earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1975. While at ENMU, she would meet and marry Gary Edwards. Happily, they had two children, Jennifer Leigh and Jeremy Todd. By now a single mother, JoBeth returned to Eastern earning a Master of Education degree in 1980. Shortly after graduation, she worked at ENMU's Clovis campus. In 1983, she met local radio personality Jim Hawk. They married in 1985 and had two children, Jacquelyn Stell and James Andrew. In 1986, the new family moved to Las Cruces and by 1989 JoBeth began teaching at Mayfield High School. Her first year at MHS required her to teach three different subjects and push a shopping cart from classroom to classroom as she did not have her own room. Eventually, she would have her own classroom and took to the task of rebuilding the school's drafting program. This task included finding drafting desks that had been scattered around campus and keeping tools in her classroom to keep those drafting desks from collapsing! JoBeth kept long hours at Mayfield, working in her classroom nights, weekends, and holidays so that students involved in extracurricular activities would have time to access the tools they needed to complete assignments. In addition, JoBeth sponsored the National Honor Society and coached track and Pom Pons. She also served on the Academy Selection Board, interviewing students seeking appointments to the U. S. military academies. JoBeth stayed at Mayfield until 2004 when she moved to Albuquerque. Commuting daily to Santa Fe, JoBeth worked for the state Public Education Department where she was instrumental in two significant statewide high school programs: High Schools That Work and Project Lead The Way. After missing the interaction with students, she would accept a position at Cibola High School in Albuquerque. First, as the campus Technology Coordinator, and one year later as Assistant Principal responsible for curriculum. In 2010, JoBeth returned to Mayfield, this time as Principal, a position she held until she retired from education in late 2015. During that time, JoBeth never tired of attending student activities and encouraging students to strive to achieve great heights. She was also active with her alma mater, serving on the alumni board of directors for almost a decade until her health forced her resignation earlier this year. In addition to her many professional accomplishments, JoBeth was a great listener, always kind, supportive, encouraging and loved to play a good practical joke. JoBeth is survived by her husband Jim, of the family home, daughter Jennifer (and Jon) Selander of Clinton Corners, NY, son Jeremy (and Laurie) Edwards of Colorado Springs, CO, daughter Jacquelyn (and Ray) Pierce of Las Cruces, NM, and son Drew Hawk of Atlanta, GA. She is also survived by three grandsons, Ryan, Jonathan and Matthew, and granddaughter Josephine, her parents Joe and Verna Stell of Carlsbad, NM, brother Jim (and Janine) Stell of Gainesboro, TN, sister, Linda Stell, of Carlsbad, NM, and brother-in-law, Grant Kinzer of Las Cruces, NM. She was preceded in death by her sister Cathy. Services to celebrate JoBeth's life are set for Saturday, February 25, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, Las Cruces, NM. In lieu of flowers, the family asks contributions be made to the JoBeth Hawk scholarship at Eastern New Mexico University: Eastern New Mexico University Foundation, JoBeth Hawk Scholarship, Station 8, 1500 S. Ave. K, Portales, NM 88130. PDF Printable Version