Doris (Hopkins) Wood

Graveside services for Doris Wood, 94, of Portales, will be held at 10:00 AM, Thurs., April 23, 2020 in the Portales Cemetery with Chaplain Wayne Moore officiating.  Honorary pallbearers will be Tyrus Hull, Spencer Odom, Jerry Odom,  Randy Hopkins, Bob Hopkins, Steve Watkins, Steven Michael Watkins, James Clay Hopkins, Jerrod Watkins, Charles Hamilton, Jeremiah Butler and Mark Milender along with all her former Sunday School students and public school students.

Doris Hopkins Wood was born in Clovis, NM on October 31, 1925 to the home of Dimple M. (Grimes) and James C. Hopkins and died the morning of April 20, 2020 in Portales, NM.  Doris grew up in the Hollene Community.  In 1941, the Hollene school consolidated with Belleview to form the Rosedale school.  She graduated from Rosedale in 1943 as Valedictorian.  That title earned her a scholarship to enter Eastern New Mexico University.  Doris graduated from Eastern in 1946, and began teaching fifth grade at Steiner Elementary School in Portales.

On Aug. 18, 1949, she was married to Morris D. Wood.  They became parents to Danna Sue in 1952 and Donna Jean in 1955.  While her girls were small, she remained at home taking care of them.  In addition to her involvement at home, she completed a Master’s Degree in 1962, and returned to the work force as a math teacher at Marshal Junior High School in Clovis.  A year later, she requested to return to the fifth grade.  When it became permissible for a man and his wife to both teach in the same school system she returned to Portales and continued teaching at Steiner Elementary until 1979.  At that time the school system reorganized, and fifth grade was moved to James Elementary where she continued to teach until 1985.  When she retired, she had been teaching a total of 29 years in all.  Doris was named Teacher of the Year in 1970.

Doris accepted Christ at the age of ten, and was active in church and Christian education all of her life.  She and Mr. Wood were members of First United Methodist Church in Portales where she taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School for 45 years.  In addition, she held various offices in the congregation at different times. Her advice is to accept Christ as your Savior and be ready to meet Him when your time comes.  She says that it will be the best decision you will ever make.

Doris was an avid golfer, and even had two “Hole in One plaques.”  She loved taking walks and enjoying nature. When she played games of strategy with her grandchildren, she was only beaten when she let them win. Her yard and garden were her pride and joy, and she continued to work in her yard for as long as she was able.  She was a very independent and self-sufficient woman.  Doris had a very special knack for fixing things and finding ways to repurpose discarded items.

She is survived by a daughter, Danna Thompson of Ruidoso, NM; three grandchildren, Tyrus Raymond (Tamara) Hull of Albuquerque, Amber Lynn Thompson of Albuquerque, and Tiffiny Ann Thompson of Ruidoso, NM; five great-grandchildren, Charles Morris Hull, Dallon Carpenter, Noah Nagy and Amillie and Tyrian Butler; two sisters, Irene Watkins of Clovis and Marguerite Hubbard of Kent, WA and a brother, James (J. C.) Hopkins of Clovis; as well as her nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents, her beloved husband, Morris Wood, who died July 9, 2012 after almost 63 years of marriage, and her youngest daughter, Donna Jean Hamilton who died in 2006.

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