Patricia E Hawkins

Patricia Eleanor Hawkins
June 23, 1941 — February 9, 2024

Patricia Eleanor Hawkins (nee, Kyle), a devoted mother, compassionate elementary school teacher, and quilter, passed away on February 9, 2024 at the age of 82. She left this world peacefully, surrounded by her loving children after a long, courageous battle for her health.
Patricia was born on June 23, 1941 in Syracuse, NY to Bernard and Eleanor Kyle. She grew up in Syracuse where she developed a strong sense of family, community, and a passion for education. After graduating from high school, she pursued her dream of becoming an elementary school teacher, earning a bachelor’s degree from Geneseo College in upstate New York. Upon graduation she immediately left for her first teaching job in Big Bear, California. Through a mutual friend, she met our father Ronald Hawkins and forged a lifelong love that has lasts even to this day.
Throughout her 30 plus years career as an elementary school teacher, Patricia touched the lives of countless students in Riverside, CA. With her patience, kindness, and dedication, her classroom was a place of warmth and learning. Her impact on generations of students will be remembered and cherished for years to come. One story my sister imparted to me was the time she was in the grocery store with my sister and a parent of one of her students approached her and asked if she remembered her son. She did of course and the mother went on to say how much of an impact our mom had on her son’s life. He was a struggling student who had difficulty reading. Mom spent the extra time needed to get this student the help he needed and invested the time to ensure his skills came up to par with the class. This boy’s mother told her that her son was now in medical school in large part to the time our mother invested to ensure all her students succeeded.
Outside of the classroom, Patricia was a devoted mother to her three children, Michael, Karen and Andy. She instilled in them the values of kindness, compassion, and the importance of education, just as she did with her students. Her love and support knew no bounds, and she was their unwavering source of guidance and love.
Patricia was an active member of many Southern California quilt guilds where she learned and educated others on the finer point of making quilts. In fact, there is one of here cherished quilts she used daily with her now. I have fond memories of taking my mom to a number of quilt shows and shops over the years – she truly lit up when browsing through the many fabrics and colors in each shop. I’m sure my brother Mike can attest to her happiness when surrounded by threads, fabrics, and quilts. She visited his home in Missouri a number of years back and had a wonderful trip to Branson Missouri for a quilt show and enjoyed every minute of it.

In 2020, Patricia moved to Temecula, CA to be closer to her children and for them to keep a closer eye on her as she struggled through health issues. She moved into a mother-in-law unit separate from my sister’s main house. She made the space her own with many sewing machines and fabric abundant in her home. She enjoyed watching the wildlife out her window and especially enjoyed watching all the hummingbird feeding on the many feeders she had placed outside the window. She had a daily companion in my sister’s golden retriever (Benson) as he would spend most of his days lying next to her chair and keeping her company.
Patricia is survived by her beloved children, Michael (Helen), Karen (Mike) and Andy (Carlett) as well her many grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Ronald.
In celebration of Patricia’s life, the family kindly requests you go to a quilt shop and pick one that catches your eye, read to your children daily and instill education in them like our mother did – it makes all the difference. Take time to tell the people in your lives you love them…
We will miss you Mom until we meet again. We love you forever.