Paul Stephen Hankins

         Paul Stephen Hankins, age 71, entered into the presence of the Lord on Saturday, September 13, 2025, in El Paso, Texas. He is preceded in death by his parents: Lyle G. Hankins and Effie M. Walker. He is survived by his sister, Mary C. Hankins, of Canutillo, Texas, and extended family in Utah, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, Washington, and North Carolina. As a young boy, Paul attended Our Lady of the Assumption School and Church in El Paso. He was a smart kid and a very good student, an altar boy, and he was a Boy Scout for many years. He loved to skateboard, ride his bicycle, play football, and slip-n-slide on his home's beautiful lawn. He was an excellent swimmer and diver, and he was on the swim team at Grandview Park swimming pool on Jefferson Street in central El Paso. After graduating high school, at 18 years of age, Paul enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, 2nd Battalion 6th Marine Regiment, and was a Vietnam Veteran. In his four years in the Marines, he achieved the rank of sergeant, was awarded two Good Conduct Medals, a Rifle Expert Badge, and a National Defense Service Medal. After the Marine Corps, Paul worked for his father in his father's bar businesses in El Paso and also worked on the oil rigs in Odessa/Midland, Texas. 

          He later made his way to the Florida Keys for some "Jimmy Buffett kind of living," and worked at Howard Johnson's in Islamorada, alongside his sister, as a short-order cook. Ahhh, the island life! He then spent many years living and working in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he and his mom visited Epcot Theme Park, and when his sister visited him on one occasion, they enjoyed some time at the tiki bar and the white sandy beaches of St. Petersburg. When he returned to El Paso in 1998, he began long-haul trucking and called his mom's home his home base. He quit working in his mid-50s and took care of his mom and her home and yard as she aged and until her death in 2023 at age 98.

           All of his life, Paul was a dependable, responsible, and hard-working individual. His last remaining immediate family member, his sister Mary, had the honor to care for him in hospice at her home -- brought him Frappuccino’s, banana splits, fries and cream gravy, Panda Express honey walnut shrimp, a nice, big TV so he could watch his Fox News, even though his beliefs did not align with theirs, anything and everything for his comfort and happiness -and it was a really good last 38 days of his life for both of them. He is already missed, and memories of his life will be cherished forever. Like the words and sentiment in the Frank Sinatra song, "My Way," Paul lived life on his own terms. He did it his way. He traveled each and every highway. He faced it all, and he stood tall -- to the very end. Paul's graveside service will be held at 10:00 a.m. MDT on Monday, September 22, 2025, at Fort Bliss National Cemetery, 5200 Fred Wilson Avenue. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society, Wounded Warriors Project, or the Humane Society of El Paso.