Adele Crawford Junkin
10/11/1933 - 10/3/2024

Adele Crawford Junkin — beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend to many — died peacefully in her sleep on October 3, 2024, at the age of almost 91. The world had become a brighter and kinder place when, on October 11, 1933, her parents, James and Opal Crawford, welcomed her birth on their farm in Crockett, Texas.

Having no other middle name, perhaps “education” should have been Adele’s. She was throughout her life a careful and curious student of the world around her. With respect to her formal studies, Adele was a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, majoring as an undergraduate in chemistry and music. On the campus, she was affiliated with Gamma Phi Beta sorority, active in Orange Jackets and student government, and she was also a field representative for the local chapter of the American Cancer Society. Following her undergraduate years, she earned a master’s degree at what was then Southwest Texas State University. Later she returned to the University of Texas to earn her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction.

But Adele was not only a lifelong student but also for many years a teacher. She served in various public and private schools in Texas, including Mount Pleasant ISD, San Marcos Academy, Center Point ISD, and Kerrville ISD. In 1983 she became a professor at what is now known as Schreiner University, where among other responsibilities she was challenged to create and then administer as Director the teacher education program.

Dedicated throughout her life to her family and community, Adele often volunteered her time to such local organizations as the YES Center at First Presbyterian Church, Christian Assistance Ministry (CAM), and Riverside Nature Center. She had a passion for learning, and she enjoyed all manner of hobbies, becoming, for instance, a Master Naturalist. Her love of learning and teaching was evident in everything she did.

Adele is survived by her husband of 67 years, Dr. Sam Junkin; by her children, Susan Junkin, David (Teresa) Junkin, and Tom (Jamie) Junkin; by her grandchildren, Sarah (Bobby) Hernandez, Zachary (Leigh) Junkin, Emily Junkin, and Samantha (Mitchell) Lochte; by her great-grandchildren, Max, Evelynn (Evie), Mason, Cora, Adalee, and Annie; to say nothing of a host of friends who cherished her generosity of spirit.

A celebration of Adele’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on October 11, 2024 (her birthday!), at the First Presbyterian Church in Kerrville, with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to the teacher education program at Schreiner University, to Hopes Kitchen at First Presbyterian Church of Kerrville, to Peterson Hospice, or to any of a number of worthy interests and ministries coming to the minds and hearts of donors — especially those that help the poor, encourage a hope-filled future, and center on Jesus’ call for peace and justice in the world.

Over all her years Adele found sustenance and guidance first in Baptist and later in Presbyterian efforts to embody, teach, and practice the Christian faith. Now with mind and heart set free, she will explore the great beyond. She will be deeply missed, but her legacy of learning, education, love, and compassion will live on in the hearts of all who knew her.

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