Marilynn Irene Maddox

Marilynn "Bunky" Maddox passed away on Saturday, August 30th, 2014 at Yuma Regional Medical Center at the age of 74, after a prolonged illness. Bunky, an enrolled member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, was born August 22, 1940 at the Colorado River Agency Indian Hospital in Parker, Arizona. She attended elementary school in Parker and graduated from Parker High School in 1958. She then attended the University of Arizona and graduated with a degree in education in 1962, then later earned a Master's degree in Education.

Bunky started her teaching career of over 40 years, in Buena Park, Ca. in 1963. She then moved back to Tucson and taught in Tucson Unified District 1, as well as the Sunnyside District. After a few years in Tucson, she became a Peace Corps volunteer and was stationed as a teacher in Iriga, Camarines Sur, Philippines. She was always very proud of her service as a volunteer in this program that was initiated by President John F. Kennedy. After her service in the Peace Corps, she returned to Arizona and taught in her home town of Parker at Blake School. At this time she met and married her husband, Bob Maddox. They then moved to Yuma and Bunky started a new career in Yuma School District One. In District One, she taught at different schools including McGraw, Gwyneth Ham, Rolle, Pecan Grove, and O.C. Johnson. She influenced over a thousand students over the years, and always ran a no nonsense classroom. She was a stickler for following the rules and not taking short cuts to success. Her assistant principal at O.C. Johnson even stated that, "Whenever he started to take a short cut across the grass by the classrooms, he would nervously look around to see if Mrs. Maddox was watching and might tell him to stay off of the grass!" After her retirement from School District One, her love of teaching took her back to the classroom and she finished up her teaching days at St. Francis School. Amazingly, after forty years in the classroom, there wasn't a child or families' name that she couldn't remember.

Bunky was a parishioner of the Immaculate Conception Church in Yuma. She was a loyal U of A Wildcat fan and her television was always tuned to U of A basketball or football. "Bear Down!" She was also an extensive traveler and had been all over the world traveling at different times with her husband, her mother, and friends. She had been in many countries, but one of her favorite trips was the staff and friends of O.C. Johnson School cruise to Mexico, which honored their principal's retirement. She was preceded in death by her parents, Frances and E.C. "Johnnie" Johnson of Parker, her husband Frank "Bob" Maddox, Jr., and her son Frank "Pancho" Maddox III. She is survived by her brother, Walt Johnson (Karen), nieces, Kelly Chavez, Kari Penny, Carol (Jack) Smith; nephews, Wally (Laura) Johnson, and Nick Johnson. Johnson Mortuary is handling arrangements. Services will be announced and held at a later date at Immaculate Conception Church. Interment will follow in the family plot in Parker.

Arrangements under the direction of Johnson Mortuary & Desert Lawn Memorial Park, Yuma, AZ.