Helen Boykin
September 29, 1926 ~ March 23, 2016
Helen Lucille Rupert Boykin passed away on March 23, 2016, in San Antonio, Texas, surrounded by her children. Helen was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana on September 29, 1926 to Murlen C. and Dorthea Rupert. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Paul Rupert, and her husband, Francis Marshall Boykin III. She is survived by: her children, Marsha Boykin Hobbs and Fred of San Antonio, Gordon Wayne Boykin of San Antonio, and Randall Rupert Boykin and Amanda Lee Boos of Houston; her grandchildren, Kyla Hobbs Darilek of Austin, Lauren Hobbs Clinkscales of Dallas; and Jace Hobbs of New Braunfels ; her sister, Rose Robaska of Sarasota, Florida; six great grandchildren; and five nieces and five nephews.
Helen grew up in South Bend, Indiana, graduating from Central High School in 1944 at the age of 17. Until finishing high school, Helen had never traveled more than 90 miles from South Bend. Shortly after graduation at the age of 17, much to the chagrin of her parents, she moved to New York City without a job, place to stay, or much money. She quickly found lodging and a job at Macy's as a model and sales clerk. On a return visit to South Bend, she met her beloved husband Marshall at a midshipmen dance at Notre Dame. She and Marshall married in South Bend, Indiana in 1946. The couple moved to Austin, Texas where Marshall completed his education. In 1950, Helen and Marshall and their first born moved to Corpus Christi, where they lived until Marshall's death in 2014.
Helen moved to San Antonio in 2015, but continued to consider Corpus Christi as her home. She was proud of the city and actively involved in the community. For many years, she was a season ticket holder with the Corpus Christi Symphony. In the 1950s, she was an active member in local attorney auxiliary club (actually it was the "Lawyers' Wives' Club"- sorry, but remember this was the fifties). She was active in the Little Theatre of Corpus Christi and a very good set and costume designer .She was an avid bridge player, belonging simultaneously to three local bridge clubs. She was a regular volunteer at Spohn Hospital for many years and participated in various charitable activities, including those sponsored by Parkway Presbyterian Church, of which she was a charter member.
In addition to bridge, Helen was a passionate football fan. Her favorite teams, in order of preference, were Notre Dame, the Dallas Cowboys, and the University of Texas. She also loved traveling and was fortunate enough to have traveled extensively with Marshall and friends. She kept a journal of most of her travels for her children and grandchildren. She also was an excellent cook who enjoyed developing new recipes. Many of her recipes are contained on index cards in a file box, which is now a treasured possession of Marsha and referred to often by others in the family. She enjoyed reading until her eyesight began to fail. One of her and Marshall's favorite books was TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. She got to "read" it again before she passed, when a year so before his death, Marshall read the entire book to Helen.
Since she was young Helen was an advocate for the humane treatment of animals. She loved and treasured her dogs deeply. She had a sign in her kitchen stating, Heaven is the place where all the dogs you ever loved will come to greet you.
Helen considered her role as mother to be paramount. Because of whom she was (a warm, funny, loving, empathetic, humble, open minded, charitable, and somewhat nonconformist person) and the values she held dear, she was a wonderful mother, who will always be treasured part of the life of her children and grandchildren. Also because of who she was, she will be missed by her friends and relatives whom she treasured.
A Memorial Service to celebrate Helen's life will be held at Parkway Presbyterian Church, 3707 Santa Fe, Corpus Christi, Texas on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at 10:30 am In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Parkway Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund, Peewee's Pet Adoption World and Sanctuary, Inc. or to a pet rescue organization of your choice.
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To the friends and family of Helen Boykin… I came across this scripture found in God’s word the Bible in the book of Acts 24:15 which reads: And I have hope toward God, which hope these men also look forward to, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. I hope this scripture brings you comfort and know that this is a promise that God gives us for the future. My condolences go out to your family and friends. Mrs. Aguirre