Betty Ruth Hawkins

Betty Ruth (BR) Hawkins 
February 3, 1953 – October 16, 2026

Betty Ruth (BR) Hawkins, 73, died Friday, October 16, 2026, leaving behind a life rich in family, friendship, creativity, service, stories and an extraordinary capacity for connecting people.

BR was born February 3, 1953, in Bradenton, Florida, to Miller C. Henry Jr. and Ruby Jones Henry. During her school years, the family moved to Canton, Mississippi, where she grew up before attending Mississippi University for Women — “The W” — an institution she loved deeply and remained connected to throughout her life.

Smart, creative, curious and a natural communicator, BR built a varied career around words, people and ideas. She worked in journalism, communications and public relations; as a photographer, writer and designer; and later in advocacy and public affairs. Whatever the job title, she had a gift for finding the heart of a story, understanding why it mattered and bringing the right people together around it.

She was also a lifelong learner who believed that experience was meant to be put to use. One of the most meaningful chapters of her professional life came in her work with incarcerated veterans. As an accelerated re-entry project manager, she helped develop programming and curriculum that combined practical job skills with the personal skills needed to successfully return to life outside prison. The work drew on much of what BR had gathered over a lifetime — communication, advocacy, creativity, an understanding of people and a belief in their ability to grow.

One of the great constants in BR’s life was her love for Mississippi University for Women.

BR loved The W, and The W loved her back.

During the 1980s, she served as one of the university’s lobbyists at the Mississippi State Capitol. When The W faced moments requiring strategy, creativity and strong communication, BR was often among those who got the call.

“We’ve got to tell our story,” she said again and again, helping generations understand that good work also has to be communicated well.

In recognition of her lifelong service, BR received The W’s prestigious Alumnae Achievement Award in 2008. In 2025, she and her graduating class were honored as Golden Girls in recognition of the 50th anniversary of their graduation.

And in typical BR fashion, when handed the microphone at the celebration, she used it — entertaining the room with memories of adventures and escapades from her college years.

Her relationship with The W was ultimately as much about people as it was about the institution. Her friendships crossed generations, from alumni whose college years dated back decades to recent graduates just beginning to find their way.

BR had that effect on people.

She remembered them. She remembered their stories. She recognized what they had to offer, and she had a knack for connecting a person’s talents or experiences with a place where they might make a difference.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast became another place BR loved and invested herself in deeply.

She and wife Beverley made Waveland their home, becoming active participants in the life of the Gulf Coast. BR brought her creative talents to the area’s arts community as a photographer and writer, telling stories and celebrating the people and character of the Coast.

Then came Hurricane Katrina.

Like so many in Waveland, BR and Bev lost their home and much of the physical life they had built there. But Waveland was home, and they chose to return, rebuild and become part of the larger work of rebuilding their community.

That experience became another chapter in a life shaped not simply by what happened to BR, but by what she chose to do with what life gave her.

Throughout her life, she was generous with what she learned — her knowledge, experience, perspective, connections and encouragement. She paid attention to life, continued to grow through it, and found ways to make what she had learned useful to someone else.

But for all the things BR did, the center of her later life became increasingly clear: family.

She and Beverley shared 32 years as partners in life, building a home, a community and a family together.

And raising their granddaughter, Rylynn, became one of the great joys and defining chapters of BR’s life.

It gave her the opportunity to pour so much of what life had taught her into another person — curiosity, resilience, responsibility, humor, creativity, honesty and love. She showed up for the daily work of raising a child, and in Rylynn she found both tremendous purpose and tremendous joy.

BR was a storyteller, and a very good one. She could make an ordinary experience worth listening to, and she rarely lacked an opinion about what should happen next.

She was funny, persuasive, interested in people and interested in the world.

She continued to learn. She continued to contribute. And she continued to find ways to put people, ideas and opportunities together.

Betty Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, Miller C. Henry Jr. and Ruby Jones Henry; her sister, Pat H. Houck; and her brother, Miller C. Henry III.

She is survived by her wife and partner of 32 years, Beverley Coleman of Waveland, Mississippi; her daughter, Emily Hawkins of New Orleans, Louisiana; her granddaughter, Rylynn Hawkins; sister, Mary Leigh Poole (Rayford) of Bella Vista, Arkansas; brother-in-law, Raymond McDonald (Cheryl) of Oak Grove, Mississippi; brother-in-law, William “Eddie” Coleman of Waveland, Mississippi; eight nieces and one nephew; their children; and an unusually wide circle of extended family, friends, colleagues, fellow alumni and people whose lives intersected with hers along the way.

Betty Ruth lived a life of curiosity, growth, creativity and connection.

She gathered experiences, stories, knowledge and people — and she was generous with all of them.

A funeral service celebrating BR’s life will be held Tuesday, October 20, at Christ Episcopal Church in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Visitation will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall, followed by the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. in the church sanctuary.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Coast Episcopal School in Long Beach, Mississippi. (https://coastepiscopalschool.org)