Linda K. Hawbaker

Linda K. Hawbaker was born on October 25, 1945 to Robert H. and Lois C. Crain in Chicago, Illinois. She died peacefully at home with her family on May 5, 2020 at the age of 74.
Linda attended Freeport High School, Freeport, Il, followed by Carthage College in Kenosha, WI. Linda graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Spanish and French. She met her husband, Thomas J Hawbaker, at Carthage College, with whom she celebrated 53 years of a fantastic, exciting, and eventful marriage and family.
After college she taught Spanish and French at St. Joseph's Catholic High School in Kenosha, WI. Linda and Tom later moved to Racine, WI. In August 1976, Linda and Tom, with their two children, Rachel and Nathan, packed up a trailer attached to their Ford Pinto station wagon and moved to Scottsdale, AZ, where the family resided until 2006. Linda was not only a loving mother and wonderful wife but also a homemaker, insurance agency administrator, insurance agent, and accountant. In 2006, Tom and Linda built their dream home in Rimrock, AZ where they lived and resided.
Throughout her life, Linda was eager to help others. She was active in many community philanthropies, including Questers, Lake Montezuma Women's Civic Club, Fort Verde State Historic Park, and Coronado High School Band Boosters. During retirement she also assisted community members to earn their GED, learn English as a second language, and volunteered with VITA. In 1992, she was a member and elected president of the Scottsdale Chapter of the American Association of University Women.
Linda was completely dedicated to and loved her husband and children. Linda's love extended to writing a book about her family's ancestors. Linda researched and compiled a collection of funny stories, historical events, and photos of her family back to 1700's which culminated into her book For the Love of Family: Crain and Greier Families Dating Back to 1700\u0027s, published in 2019 and is available on Amazon. All proceeds from the sales of this book will go directly to the Linda K. (Crain) Hawbaker Memorial Fund at the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation, Inc website.
Linda loved to act, dance and sing. She thoroughly enjoyed her fabulous roles in plays produced by the Lake Montezuma Women's Civic Club, including "Stella Devine", "The Boarding House" and "For His Brother's Crime."
She enjoyed reading and writing poetry, books, music, travel, snow and water skiing, hiking, camping, gardening, sewing, and spending time with her grandchildren. One of her favorite annual events, which began in 1978, was the Labor Day camping trip to the AZ mountains with family and friends which continued for 30 years.
Linda is survived by her husband of 52 years, Tom, daughter, Rachel (h. Grant), son, Nathan (w. Crystal) as well as her 3 grandchildren.
Linda was proceeded in death by her father, mother, and sister.
Linda's love of family and her enthusiasm of life will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
A Celebration and Remembrance of Linda's life is planned for 1pm, June 27, 2020 at Westcott Funeral Home, 1013 E Mingus Ave, Cottonwood, AZ.
In lieu of flowers, the family appreciates donations be made to the Linda K. (Crain) Hawbaker Memorial Fund https://secure.qgiv.com/event/cjdfoundation/account/988301 at the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation, Inc website.