Villa Hanks

Obituaries

Tuesday, 03 May 2022 11:41

Villa Elizabeth Campbell Hanks, 69 of Rainsville, passed away on Sunday, April 24, 2022. A celebration of life was held on Thursday, April 28, 2022 at Broadway Baptist Church with Gayle Haywood officiating. Burial followed at Mountain View Memory Gardens.

An extraordinary and devoted wife, mother and grandmother, Elizabeth was a passionate elementary school teacher for 35 years. She is a 1970 graduate of Winfield High and earned her elementary education degree from Livingston University and her masters degree from the University of Alabama. She taught school primarily in Williamson County, Tenn. but also Alabama and Louisiana. She influenced over 800 students in her long career and mentored many beginning teachers and principals. She was named Teacher of the Year in 2002. Elizabeth and her husband, Louis, were married in 1973 and celebrated 48 wonderful years of sweet life together. Her commitment to her husband in best exemplified by driving a straight-shift orange VW to teach wonderful special education children in the Lower Ninth War in new Orleans in order to put Louis through seminary.

She was a member of Broadway Baptist Church and previously taught Sunday School for 30 years at Brentwood Baptist Church. Elizabeth demonstrated a remarkable faith in Christ, served as a steadfast prayer warrior and enjoyed working in the church. Her legacy was to instill this motto in her family, “Be a blessing.” As the family historian, Elizabeth loved to research genealogy and keep records of family milestones. For all her life she devoted her energies to her family, and in recent years, to her five grands who she adored.

She is survived by her husband; sons, Jonathan (Jamie), Andrew (Courtney); grands, Novie, Campbell, Eliza, Levi, Abigail; mother, Jane Campbell; brother, Stott (Janet) Campbell; sisters, Phoebe (Mitchell) Pate, Sarah (Jerry) Smith; mother-in-law, Margaret Hanks; brothers-in-law, Chuck Alexander, Tom Hanks; several nieces, nephews and a host of friends. She was preceded in death by her father, Garry Campbell; sister, Lydia Alexander; father-in-law, Louis Hanks.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Backpacks of Blessings to assist children at Broadway Baptist Church, P.O. Box 766, Rainsville, Ala. 35986 or to the UAH Foundation, Early Learning Center, Student Services Building, 319, Huntsville, Ala. 35899.