Official Obituary of
Dauphne Elizabeth (Eubanks) McFarland
June 26, 1959 ~ August 10, 2026 (age 67) 67 Years Old
Dauphne McFarland Obituary
Dauphne Elizabeth McFarland, 67, passed away unexpectedly on August 10, 2026, while visiting family in Belen, New Mexico. Her unexpected passing leaves behind a family and community who loved her deeply and a lifetime of memories that will forever bring smiles, laughter, and a sense of warmth to those who knew her.
Dauphne was born in Medford, Oregon to James Floyd Eubanks, Jr. and Greta Jo (Cheney) Eubanks. She was the second of four children, growing up alongside her older brother, William (Ed/Eddie) Eubanks, and younger sisters, Myrtis Hooper and Patricia Garcia. As the daughter of an Episcopal priest, Dauphne spent much of her childhood traveling throughout the Rio Grande Diocese, living in various communities across West Texas and New Mexico. Those years helped shape one of her greatest gifts: her ability to walk into a room and make connections. Dauphne made friends easily, cared genuinely about people, and seemed to have a natural ability to make others feel welcome and valued.
She graduated from Gallup High School and attended New Mexico State University in Las Cruces for a short time before marrying the love of her life, Ernest (Ernie) Albert Vanderwagen, Jr.. She was always a great student & later took numerous courses at UNM Community College in Gallup often joking that she likely had enough credits for multiple degrees except for the fact that her interests were so varied that there weren't enough credits in any one subject.
Dauphne was a hard worker throughout her life and held many different roles, but one of the positions that seemed to fit her perfectly was serving as an Ombudsman for the United States Navy in Virginia. An Ombudsman serves as a vital link between military families and their command, helping families navigate challenges, connecting them with resources, organizing meetings and activities, and making sure people know they are not alone. It was a role that was tailor-made for Dauphne. Her natural warmth, creativity, organization, nurturing spirit, and genuine love for people allowed her to care for and connect with others in a way that came naturally to her.
Her faith was another defining part of her life. Dauphne was an active member of Fellowship Church, where she served in the women's group, the Reset Team, and numerous other volunteer roles. She freely and willingly gave her time whenever there was a need. Her faith wasn't simply something she talked about—it was something she lived. She was disciplined about spending time each day studying her Bible and loved sharing her faith and the love of Christ with others. She especially enjoyed encouraging friends and family to attend her church's annual Sisterhood event, often persuading a few more people to join her each year.
Perhaps nothing demonstrated Dauphne's strength and determination more than the journey she made following a serious stroke in 2018. For a time, the right side of her body was paralyzed, but Dauphne refused to accept that as her new normal. She worked tirelessly to regain the abilities she had lost. During that first Christmas after her stroke, she spent hours painstakingly writing her Christmas cards as she relearned how to write. She spent countless hours in physical therapy learning to walk again and working to regain the use of her right arm and hand. Watching her fight her way back was truly remarkable and inspiring. The same determination she had encouraged in her son, Cody, was evident in her own life.
Dauphne's greatest joy was her son, Cody James Eugene McFarland who she always affectionately referred to as "her Sonshine". Cody was born with cerebral palsy, and doctors warned that he might not make it out of the hospital. Little did they know that this little boy had inherited his mother's spunk, determination, and fighting spirit. Cody showed the world he was up for the challenge, and Dauphne loved him fiercely. Even years later, she kept little reminders of Cody close to her—his favorite stuffed dog and a beloved blanket among the treasured mementos on her bed. Those who knew Dauphne knew how much her son meant to her.
Dauphne had a gift for making life more enjoyable. She was outgoing, fun-loving, and had a quick wit that could lighten a room or bring a much-needed laugh. She loved sharing funny memes and sayings she discovered, often sending just the right one to make someone smile or chuckle. She had a sweet smile and a tender heart, and her warmth made her incredibly easy to love.
She was also one of those people who was always thinking about someone else. Dauphne was an exceptional gift giver—not because of what she spent, but because she paid attention. She remembered what people liked, what interested them, what hobbies they enjoyed, and somehow seemed to always find the perfect birthday or Christmas gifts. She was organized, thoughtful, and famously early. If she said she would be somewhere at a certain time, chances were good she had already been there for a while.
She loved to read, study her Bible, crochet, create beautiful beaded tapestries and magnets, and care for animals. She had a special way with four-legged creatures, and it seemed that every animal she encountered eventually decided Dauphne was their favorite person. She loved to travel and was particularly fond of cruising. Some of her favorite adventures included an Alaska cruise with her mother, Greta, her brother William, and her sister Patricia, and a Panama Canal cruise with her mother and sisters, Myrtis and Patricia. She was also always ready for a good paint-and-sip or a new adventure.
Her favorite color was purple, and those who loved her will probably never see purple quite the same way again. It will always be a little reminder of Dauphne: colorful, warm, cheerful, and impossible to overlook.
Dauphne's greatest gifts were her unbounded generosity with her time, her loving acceptance of others, and her genuine ability to care for the people around her. She didn't simply meet people—she connected with them. She noticed them. She remembered them. And she made them feel loved.
She would want those who knew her to remember her not for how she left this world, but for how she lived in it: with kindness, humor, generosity, determination, and an unwavering love for others. Most of all, she would want to be remembered as a child of God whose faith was at the center of her life.
Dauphne leaves behind her mother, Greta Jo Eubanks of Belen, New Mexico; her brother, William (Ed/Eddie) Eubanks currently living in Portland, Oregon; and her sisters, Myrtis Hooper of Coppell, Texas and Patricia Garcia of Belen, New Mexico along with nieces, nephews, extended family, lifelong friends, and countless people whose lives were touched by her kindness. She was deeply loved, and she will be deeply missed.
We find comfort in believing that, somewhere beyond this earthly life, Dauhpne's little "Sonshine" is waiting to greet her and the embrace they were denied for so long is finally theirs again.
Services for Dauphne will be held on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at St. Phillips Episcopal Church, in Rio Communities, NM, at 11:15 am.
Dauphne's arrangements are being handled by the caring professionals at the Noblin Funeral Service Belen Chapel, where an online guest register is available at www.noblin.com
Dauphne was born in Medford, Oregon to James Floyd Eubanks, Jr. and Greta Jo (Cheney) Eubanks. She was the second of four children, growing up alongside her older brother, William (Ed/Eddie) Eubanks, and younger sisters, Myrtis Hooper and Patricia Garcia. As the daughter of an Episcopal priest, Dauphne spent much of her childhood traveling throughout the Rio Grande Diocese, living in various communities across West Texas and New Mexico. Those years helped shape one of her greatest gifts: her ability to walk into a room and make connections. Dauphne made friends easily, cared genuinely about people, and seemed to have a natural ability to make others feel welcome and valued.
She graduated from Gallup High School and attended New Mexico State University in Las Cruces for a short time before marrying the love of her life, Ernest (Ernie) Albert Vanderwagen, Jr.. She was always a great student & later took numerous courses at UNM Community College in Gallup often joking that she likely had enough credits for multiple degrees except for the fact that her interests were so varied that there weren't enough credits in any one subject.
Dauphne was a hard worker throughout her life and held many different roles, but one of the positions that seemed to fit her perfectly was serving as an Ombudsman for the United States Navy in Virginia. An Ombudsman serves as a vital link between military families and their command, helping families navigate challenges, connecting them with resources, organizing meetings and activities, and making sure people know they are not alone. It was a role that was tailor-made for Dauphne. Her natural warmth, creativity, organization, nurturing spirit, and genuine love for people allowed her to care for and connect with others in a way that came naturally to her.
Her faith was another defining part of her life. Dauphne was an active member of Fellowship Church, where she served in the women's group, the Reset Team, and numerous other volunteer roles. She freely and willingly gave her time whenever there was a need. Her faith wasn't simply something she talked about—it was something she lived. She was disciplined about spending time each day studying her Bible and loved sharing her faith and the love of Christ with others. She especially enjoyed encouraging friends and family to attend her church's annual Sisterhood event, often persuading a few more people to join her each year.
Perhaps nothing demonstrated Dauphne's strength and determination more than the journey she made following a serious stroke in 2018. For a time, the right side of her body was paralyzed, but Dauphne refused to accept that as her new normal. She worked tirelessly to regain the abilities she had lost. During that first Christmas after her stroke, she spent hours painstakingly writing her Christmas cards as she relearned how to write. She spent countless hours in physical therapy learning to walk again and working to regain the use of her right arm and hand. Watching her fight her way back was truly remarkable and inspiring. The same determination she had encouraged in her son, Cody, was evident in her own life.
Dauphne's greatest joy was her son, Cody James Eugene McFarland who she always affectionately referred to as "her Sonshine". Cody was born with cerebral palsy, and doctors warned that he might not make it out of the hospital. Little did they know that this little boy had inherited his mother's spunk, determination, and fighting spirit. Cody showed the world he was up for the challenge, and Dauphne loved him fiercely. Even years later, she kept little reminders of Cody close to her—his favorite stuffed dog and a beloved blanket among the treasured mementos on her bed. Those who knew Dauphne knew how much her son meant to her.
Dauphne had a gift for making life more enjoyable. She was outgoing, fun-loving, and had a quick wit that could lighten a room or bring a much-needed laugh. She loved sharing funny memes and sayings she discovered, often sending just the right one to make someone smile or chuckle. She had a sweet smile and a tender heart, and her warmth made her incredibly easy to love.
She was also one of those people who was always thinking about someone else. Dauphne was an exceptional gift giver—not because of what she spent, but because she paid attention. She remembered what people liked, what interested them, what hobbies they enjoyed, and somehow seemed to always find the perfect birthday or Christmas gifts. She was organized, thoughtful, and famously early. If she said she would be somewhere at a certain time, chances were good she had already been there for a while.
She loved to read, study her Bible, crochet, create beautiful beaded tapestries and magnets, and care for animals. She had a special way with four-legged creatures, and it seemed that every animal she encountered eventually decided Dauphne was their favorite person. She loved to travel and was particularly fond of cruising. Some of her favorite adventures included an Alaska cruise with her mother, Greta, her brother William, and her sister Patricia, and a Panama Canal cruise with her mother and sisters, Myrtis and Patricia. She was also always ready for a good paint-and-sip or a new adventure.
Her favorite color was purple, and those who loved her will probably never see purple quite the same way again. It will always be a little reminder of Dauphne: colorful, warm, cheerful, and impossible to overlook.
Dauphne's greatest gifts were her unbounded generosity with her time, her loving acceptance of others, and her genuine ability to care for the people around her. She didn't simply meet people—she connected with them. She noticed them. She remembered them. And she made them feel loved.
She would want those who knew her to remember her not for how she left this world, but for how she lived in it: with kindness, humor, generosity, determination, and an unwavering love for others. Most of all, she would want to be remembered as a child of God whose faith was at the center of her life.
Dauphne leaves behind her mother, Greta Jo Eubanks of Belen, New Mexico; her brother, William (Ed/Eddie) Eubanks currently living in Portland, Oregon; and her sisters, Myrtis Hooper of Coppell, Texas and Patricia Garcia of Belen, New Mexico along with nieces, nephews, extended family, lifelong friends, and countless people whose lives were touched by her kindness. She was deeply loved, and she will be deeply missed.
We find comfort in believing that, somewhere beyond this earthly life, Dauhpne's little "Sonshine" is waiting to greet her and the embrace they were denied for so long is finally theirs again.
Services for Dauphne will be held on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at St. Phillips Episcopal Church, in Rio Communities, NM, at 11:15 am.
Dauphne's arrangements are being handled by the caring professionals at the Noblin Funeral Service Belen Chapel, where an online guest register is available at www.noblin.com
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dauphne Elizabeth (Eubanks) McFarland, please visit our floral store.
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