Donna Marie Wise

Donna Marie Hawkins-Wise of Lake Limestone passed away Sunday, October 4, 2020.

Visitation will be held from 9:30 - 11 AM on Tuesday, October 13, 2020 in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel prior to services.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11 AM on Tuesday, October 13, 2020 in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel with Chaplain Jon Honea officiating.  Following the funeral, a gathering will take place in the Groesbeck Convention Center's Club Room located at 106 E. Navasota St. Groesbeck, TX  76642.

The Graveside committal service will be held at 4 PM that afternoon, Tuesday, October 13, 2020 at Hawkins Cemetery, 5301 North Hwy 287 Access Arlington, Texas 76017.

“She has searched for HIM and has now been found.”

Donna Marie Hawkins-Wise born May 15, 1938, in Wichita Falls, Texas, the oldest of four children, and daughter to Eugene Earl Hawkins and Addie Marie Kincer-Hawkins.  In her early years, she lived near La Porte, Texas and Wichita Falls, Texas and graduated Wichita Falls Highschool and went onto study at Midwestern State University.  On Sunday, November 3, 1957, Donna married the love of her life, Kenneth Odell Wise, at 19 years old, while Kenneth was on a short leave from the Navy.  She knew how important education was and worked hard to help put Kenneth through architectural school at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.  While in Lubbock, their son Todd Kenneth Wise was born in (1962). From Lubbock, they ventured back down to Wichita Falls for Kenneth’s work as an Architect and soon after their daughter Alisa Marie Wise-Phillips was born in (1965). After Wichita Falls, Texas, Donna moved with her family to the Houston area starting out in Bellaire, Texas, and then settling in Alief, Texas, until 1981.  Longing for a little space, they moved out to the country in Fulshear, Texas and remained there until they retired to Lake Limestone in 2000.

Donna worked a brief time at Humble Oil and then focused on raising her children until 1980. In 1980, Donna began working for Alief Independent School District (AISD) as a teacher’s assistant at Petrosky Elementary School.  From there, she was able to switch departments at AISD and worked as one of their primary graphic art designers. She designed the AISD logo and until recently, the logo remained an icon for the district.

One of Donna’s greatest passion was exhibited best in her beautiful watercolor artwork.  During her middle years, she pursued this passion and became a Master Watercolorist in Houston, Texas. Her children often encouraged her to sell her paintings, but she would always say “How can you sell something that is such a part of you?”  Today, many family and friends enjoy her artwork.  In 2019, while living at Lake Limestone, Texas, Donna enjoyed being an integral part of the Oak Point Subdivision’s little free library installation, as the resident artist, where she painted on repurposed rowboat a picture of a blue-grey heron at sunset at Lake Limestone.

She was an original founder of the Lakeside Reader’s Book Club and enjoyed attending monthly book club meetings with the ladies of Lake Limestone and attended this past August, where sweet fellowship and prayer were part of their routine. She made many good friends while living at Lake Limestone. She attended Groesbeck United Methodist Church for a long period and enjoyed their ladies bible studies.

Family was incredibly important to Donna; she dedicated herself to ensuring that her children were given every opportunity to succeed and to flourish in their lives.

Among her greatest loves were her grandchildren, Nathanael Reed Phillips, Cody Odell Phillips, Eden Anne Wise, and Arwen Shea Wise. Known to them, as Nonna, she instilled in them a love of art, music, reading, and creativity, imagination and of course making biscuits. She enjoyed attending their piano and choral recitals, soccer, baseball, rugby games, and high school and university musical theater productions.

Donna had a veracious interest in genealogy and that love allowed her to discover her heritage in Scotland and the lower part of England.  In 2010, she was able to take a trip of a lifetime to visit Thirlestane Castle, Lauder near Scotland and Headcorn, a village in the borough of Maidstone in Kent, England and see some of the interesting historical facts of her ancestors.

Donna was a passionate member of the Sterling C. Robertson Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, where she was inducted on September 28, 2002, through her ancestor Harvey Hawkins.

She was a faithful member of the Jonathan Hardin Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, since 2002, where she served as the First Vice Regent 2006-2010 and Chapter Librarian 2003-2006.

Donna is preceded in death by her parents, Eugene Earl Hawkins and Addie Marie Kincer-Hawkins.

Donna is survived by her husband, Kenneth Odell Wise of Lake Limestone, Texas; son, Todd Kenneth Wise and daughter-in-law Kimberly Anne Wise of Weatherford, Texas; daughter, Alisa Marie Wise-Phillips and son-in-law Reed Phillips of Lake Limestone, Texas; grandsons: Nathanael Reed Phillips of New York City, NY and Cody Odell Phillips and wife, Katie Lynn Jackson-Phillips of Jonesboro, Arkansas; granddaughters: Eden Anne Wise and Arwen Shea Wise of Weatherford, Texas. She is also survived by her siblings Eugene Earl Hawkins II., Elizabeth Ann Hawkins-Dalton, George Timothy Hawkins and first cousins Becky Prater Hollis and Tommy Dean Prater.

Wife, mother, grandmother, sister, cousin, aunt and friend –

She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed.