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John Robert Hawkins (1938 - 2016)
John Robert Hawkins 78, of Desoto , TX , died Friday, February 12, 2016 at his home. A graveside service is set for 2:00 PM, Wednesday, February 17, 2016 in the Evergreen Chapel at Evergreen Cemetery in Paris , TX with Rev. Bill Coleman officiating. The family will gather at the cemetery at 1:30 PM Wednesday prior to the service. Fry & Gibbs Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements.
John was born February 2, 1938 in West Lafayette , Indiana to Arthur Charles and Gladys Estella Rush Hawkins. He graduated from Montmorenci High School in 1956. John then attended Purdue University for one year and graduated from Ambassador College in Pasadena, California . He received additional graduate degrees from Texas A&M at Commerce, Stephen F. Austin State University, and University of North Texas . After college, Mr. Hawkins served his country in the US Army Reserves. Mr. Hawkins then moved to North Texas as Regional Sales Manager for Charles Schwab. He also owned three answering services in the Dallas area and authored five books about the Messiah as well.
John married Mary Anne Harlan on February 1, 1980 in Honolulu , Hawaii . She survives. He is also survived by two daughters, Jacqueline Elizabeth Hawkins of Plano , Texas and Tracey Anne Mahony of Shreveport , Louisiana ; two brothers, Marvin Leon Hawkins and Charles Eugene Hawkins; two sisters, Marlynn Irene Storey and Artella Sue Hawkins; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, William Arthur Hawkins.
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Gary Alexander (1963)
I want to repeat my posting #1847 here, since it has scrolled up into the ether of cyber history:
I ran into John when he was ministerial assistant in Seattle and I was a high school senior. I drove to Mr. Jimmy Friddle's house for my first visit, but there was a spokesman's club meeting. Friddle told John Hawkins to answer my questions. We stood on Friddle's porch for a while, then John drove me to his small apartment just a couple of blocks away (in Midway, Washington, which is halfway between Seattle and Tacoma). I asked very few doctrinal questions, just wondering what Ambassador College was like and whether I should apply. He showed me his Envoy and I was captivated by the beauty of the campus and the wholesome students.
John and I talked over two hours about life at AC and he invited me to church that Sabbath, telling me where they met. I later found out he got in a little trouble for inviting me without telling me more about HOW to keep the Sabbath, or other key doctrines. Six months later, when I was a Freshman (1963), I heard that John and another student (David Mills, I think) were suspended from the field ministry for breaking their engagements with their prospective wives. HWA preached on that several times, saying a promise is a promise and you must keep them "at all costs." I found that thinking bizarre, especially since my first intended bride broke our engagement on the eve of the wedding, and it turned out to be the right and courageous move on her part.
At any rate, I saw John Hawkins quite a bit during my first year at AC, since he had been "demoted" to working at the press. I was in journalism and would greet him at the press. I found John to be a gentle human being who took his punishment with grace. I'm glad you brought us up to date with his later life via the obituary link, since I was always wondering what happened to the young man who provided my first personal experience with an Ambassador College graduate.