Wendy Sue Hatfield

My tribute to my best friend!!

Wendy Sue Schultz Hatfield   July 28,1963 – December 28, 2024

Wendy lost her battle to cancer on Saturday 3 days after Christmas, at home surrounded by family. She loved Jesus and accepted him as her LORD and savior, knowing that when her time on earth was over, she knew that she was going to Heaven to be with Jesus!!

Wendy was my wife for 31 yrs, Mom and Nana. She is survived by her husband Terry Hatfield 64. Children Cory Thompson 45, Heidi Simpson 39, TJ Hatfield 30, Kelli DeLaura 27. Grandchildren Taylor Thompson 27, Cody Thompson 25, Jude Oliver Bash Simpson 9, Molly Mae Simpson 4. She was born in Belflower CA in 1963. She grew up in a dysfunctional house and her parents divorced when she was young. She was emancipated by the courts when she was 16 and did whatever she had to do to survive on the streets and beaches of SoCal. She had Cory when she was 16 and Heidi when she was 22. She loved the ocean and spent her teens and early twenties in and around SoCal towns and beaches. She moved from SoCal to Cottage Grove OR in her mid-twenties for a fresh start with Cory and Heidi in tow. She lived in Cottage Grove until she moved to Boulder City. 

Wendy moved to Boulder City from Oregon in mid-1993 with Cory 14 and Heidi 8, fleeing an abusive relationship of over 15yrs, and looking for a fresh start in life. She met Terry in the Summer of 1993, when Cory came out to play Jr High football and Terry was one of the coaches. Terry met Wendy through Cory, and they married in April of 1994 and never looked back.

Wendy loved animals, having horses, dogs, cats, chickens. Our home was always filled with kids and animals. Which eventually turned me into an animal lover too.

Wendy was a “momma bear” when it came to her children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces. She took on the local schools on several occasions when it came to the education and treatment of her family. Never backing down or being intimidated by school administrators. She was the most tenacious and strong-willed woman I ever met!

Wendy had a heart for abused women, single mothers, and low-income families struggling to make ends meet. She founded Seeds of Hope Christian Ministries here in Boulder City, running it for about 10yrs. With a food pantry, thrift store, and weekly Bible studies. Helping 10 to 30 families a week at no cost to them through the food pantry with food, milk, diapers, etc. Also, providing clothes and household goods through the thrift store at low or no cost. If individuals couldn’t afford needed items, she would just give it to them. She always said, “if we put God first and bless the needy and hurting, he will always provide”, and God always came through! She would say, “we don’t give handouts, we give hand-ups”! Encouraging individuals to try and better themselves.

She also had a heart for bikers and with help from a few Christian biker clubs in Las Vegas would organize and sponsor a quarterly get together, under Seeds of Hope, at Hemmingway Park with free food, games, conversation and Christian music to all biker clubs from Christian to Outlaw promoting unity and the love of Jesus at a neutral event where everyone was welcome without judgement.

She ran Chuck Colson’s Angel Tree Christmas program for children of prisoners in Southern Nevada for several years. Making sure children of qualified incarcerated parents had a Christmas thanks to toy donations from the public and the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. She always surrounded herself with likeminded volunteers that had the same vision and heart to help the less fortunate.

Wendy worked for Denton Law as a paralegal here in Boulder City for several years until Mr Denton passed. She was Ralphs right hand doing research, filing and whatever Ralph needed done in the legal world. She loved that job and loved working for the Dentons. She always said that Ralph was a walking encyclopedia of Nevada history and politics.

Wendy always cared for the elderly, both her family and extended family. She became their caregiver and advocate. She cared for her father Gary (cancer), father-in-law Luther (Cancer), mother-in-law JoAnne (organ failure) and Uncle Art (cancer) here in Boulder City. She cared for her stepfather Chuck (cancer) and mother Carol (ALS) in Fullerton, CA. All within the last 15yrs. She would take on the VA, doctors, nurses, hospitals, insurance, making sure they all got the treatment and care they deserved without reservation. She hospice all of them and was there with them to end their of life on earth. She gave up her dream of sailing around the world to do the right thing and take care of all the above-mentioned and making sure they were never put into an old folk’s home. It takes a lot of heart and patients to do that because it’s not easy being a fulltime caregiver.

Her dream was to sell our house, and all unneeded possessions, buy a catamaran sailboat and sail around the world. She followed many YouTubers that were already doing it. She made several trips to Florida with her daughter Kelli and husband looking at and even putting deposits on a few boats, but none of them were what she was looking for. 

In 2019 cancer came knocking and put Wendy in the fight for her life. She went to the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, AZ to get PET scans and then start treatment. After 6 yrs, 3 surgeries, Chemo, Radiation, and some trial treatments she lost her battle to cancer at the end of 2024.

I lost my best friend, soulmate, lover and confidant to the one thing in life that does not care about your age, color of skin, whether your male or female, who you’re affiliated with, what your occupation is, or how much money you do or don’t have… CANCER!! Cancer took her body, but Jesus took her soul and spirit. 

1 Corinthians 15:55 - WHERE, O DEATH, IS YOUR VICTORY? WHERE, O DEATH, IS YOUR STING? This is not talking about our physical death. This is talking about a spiritual death. Our final stop right after physical death depends on if you have believed, received and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior while still in this physical body. The physical death is just a glimpse of what eternity is, a 100yrs on this earth is still a flash. 1 out of 1 die and there’s no way around it. But, for us who are believers, we have eternal life in Heaven with God and all other believers that have gone on before us. My physical body hurts, mourns, and weeps because I will never see her on this earth again. My soul and spirit rejoice because I know she is in Heaven and no longer in pain or suffering. I also know that I will see her again when my physical body dies. I will always carry you in my heart this side of Heaven! There is only one way to get into Heaven… John 14:6 and John 3:16.

Your loving husband, Terry