Paula Wilkins

Paula Fay Wilkins, age 89 of Amarillo, Texas, gained her angel wings and entered into her heavenly home Sunday evening, May 24, 2026.

Born December 15, 1939, 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 early years of their marriage were spent living in a small apartment in Washington, where Paula was the true supportive wife as her husband served in the United States Army stateside as well as overseas in Germany. Several years later, they returned home to Wellington, where she helped support and operate Tom’s mother’s and father’s diner called “Tom’s Red Top.” She also worked at the ASCS office for several years as well and helped out when she could at her husband’s now 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took the girls on camping trips, helping them earn hundreds of badges by teaching them skills that would be considered “out of date” today, such as how to build fires, administer first aid, fold the American flag properly, and build wooden tables, just to name a few.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 that were made during those years were priceless.

After her daughters were older, she took a big leap of faith and decided to return to school nearly 40 years after she left to finish her education degree. In 1990, after much hard work and dedication, she graduated along with her oldest daughter, Penny, from WTAMU with her Bachelor of Science degree in Education. After graduation, she was hired almost immediately as a 5th grade teacher for Wellington ISD, where 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.

She and Tom were both dedicated members of the Coulter Road Baptist Church, where they remained members for many years.

Survivors include her husband, Tom Wilkins, of Amarillo; daughters, Penny Davis and husband Jerry Dan of Wellington, Texas, Julie Reel and husband James of Bushland, Texas; nine grandchildren, including Macy Markham and husband, Topper, of Carrollton, Texas, Cassidy Davis, of Durham, NC, Jalee Davis, of Aurora, CO, Shiloh Reel, of Dallas, Texas, Hunter Reel and wife, Alex, of Hixson, Tennessee, Jaren Alvarado and wife, Meagan, of Amarillo, and Rhett Reel, also of Amarillo and one great-grandson, Jace Thomas Markham, of Carrollton, Texas.

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.