Paula Fay Wilkins, 89, of Amarillo, Texas, gained her angel wings and entered into her heavenly home Sunday evening, May 24, 2026.
Born Dec. 15, 1936, in Cooper, Texas, to Virgil and Pauline Reeves, Paula lived life to the fullest, enjoying her years as a devoted wife, mother, Girl Scout Leader and teacher, who made a significant impact on the lives of many she taught.
Most of Paula’s formative years were spent growing up in Memphis, Texas, where she had a wonderful and very memorable childhood. Her family later moved to Childress, Texas, where Paula graduated from Childress High School in 1954.
She attended Texas Christian University for almost two years before returning to Childress and meeting the love of her life, Tom Wilkins, on a double date. The couple married June 23, 1957, celebrating almost 69 years of marriage.
The couple spent the early years of their marriage living in a small apartment in Washington, where Paula was the true supportive wife as her husband served stateside in the United States Army, as well as overseas in Germany. Several years later, they returned home to Wellington, where she helped support and operate Tom’s mother and father’s diner, “Tom’s Red Top.” She also worked at the ASCS office for several years and helped out when she could at her husband’s famous Wilkins Furniture on the square.
Years later, while raising two young daughters, Paula decided to take on her most challenging role yet — that of Girl Scout Leader of Troop 228. She, along with help with several other mothers, took the girls on camping trips, helping them earn hundreds of badges by teaching them skills that would be considered “out of date” today, such as how to build fires, administer first aid, fold the American flag properly and build wooden tables, just to name a few. The memories made during those years were priceless.
As her two daughters got older, Paula took a big leap of faith when she decided to return to school to complete her education degree nearly 40 years later. In 1990, after much hard work and dedication, she graduated alongside her oldest daughter, Penny, from West Texas A&M University with her Bachelor of Science degree in Education. After graduation, she became employed almost immediately as a fifth-grade teacher for Wellington ISD. She taught for seven years, until she and Tom relocated to
Abilene, Texas, where they lived for many happy years before finally moving to Amarillo to be closer to their family and live out the remainder of their days together.
Both dedicated members of the Coulter Road Baptist Church, Paula and Tom served as members for many years.
Survivors include her husband, Tom Wilkins, of Amarillo; daughters Penny Davis and husband Jerry Dan, of Wellington, and Julie Reel and husband James, of Bushland, Texas; nine grandchildren, Macy Markham and husband Topper, of Carrollton, Texas, Cassidy Davis, of Durham, N.C., Jalee Davis, of Aurora, Colo., Shiloh Reel, of Dallas, Texas, Hunter Reel and wife, Alex, of Hixson, Tenn., Jaren Alvarado and wife, Meagan, of Amarillo, and Rhett Reel, of Amarillo; and one great-grandson, Jace Thomas Markham, of Carrolltons.
Paula was preceded in death by her stepfather, A.A. Whitlock, in 1974; her father, Virgil, in 1991; stepfather Clarence Taylor in 1995; her mother, Pauline Taylor, in 1996; and her stepmother, Leona Reeves, in 2009.
Funeral services took place at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 28 at Coulter Road Baptist Church in Amarillo. Graveside services followed at Amarillo Memory Gardens Cemetery. The family entrusted arrangements to LaGrone-Blackburn-Shaw Funeral Directors.
Sign the online guest book at lagroneblackburnshaw.com/ obituaries/paula-wilkins.
