Benita Erwin

Services for Benita June (Wallace) Erwin, 57, of Ada are 10:00 a.m. Monday, July 13th at Trinity Baptist Church, Rev. David Gray will officiate. The family will receive friends from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Sunday at Criswell Funeral Home.

Mrs. Erwin passed away Sunday, July 5, 2020 at her home. She was born May 20, 1963 at Ardmore to Stevenson and Betty Hunter Wallace. She was a longtime resident of the Ada area. She attended Dickson Grade School and graduated from Dickson High School in 1981. She received a Bachelor's Degree from East Central University and a Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Oklahoma.

She married Rit "Rick" Erwin June 17, 1989 in Enville, OK. Mrs. Erwin was the Director of Special Projects for family services with the Chickasaw Nation. She was a member of Trinity Baptist Church in Ada. Benita enjoyed working with her hands, fixing old furniture and doing crafts. Her true passion however was Social Work. Benita dedicated her life and career to helping others learn to overcome loss, trauma and addiction. In March of 2020, she was honored to receive the National Association of Social Worker's Lifetime Achievement Award. Her guiding principles of service, compassion and integrity drove her to care for everyone she met throughout her 30+ years of Social Work experience.

Survivors include her husband Rick Erwin, of the home; her children, Nicole Erwin, Hunter Erwin, Jarrod Erwin and Danielle Erwin, all of Ada; her siblings, Shelly Wallace, Oklahoma, Mike Thomas and wife Tammy, Ardmore, Deena Thomas Wood and husband David, Ft. Gibson, Jay Wallace and wife Pamela, Laurel, MT and Steven Wallace and wife Courtney, Purcell; her step-mother, Carol Wallace, Ardmore; and four sisters-in-law, Pam Simpson, Ada, Lou Graves, Hot Springs Village, AR, Linda Smigelski, Sumter, SC and Sharon Cobb, Wanette.

She was preceded in death by her father, Stevenson Wallace; her mother, Betty Reece; and a sister, Sheila Dewberry.

Bearers will be Mike Thomas, Jay Wallace, Steven Wallace, Dr. Richard McClain, Dave Parker and Todd Crawford.

The family says those who wish may make memorials to: the Benita Wallace Erwin Memorial Scholarship for Social Workers, c/o East Central University Foundation, 1100 E. 14th St. Box Y-8, Ada, OK 74820.