Dale "Hawk" E. Hawkins

He was born on Nov. 30th, 1922 in Chismville, Arkansas to Velmer and Zelma Hawkins. He and his siblings were also raised by his grandfather and grandmother John Henry and Mattie T. Hawkins. He started out as a roughneck in the oil fields in Posey county, IN and then in the LST shipyard in Evansville. He served in the Army Air Force as a Surgical Technician in Gulfport, MS. He worked for Bucyrus Erie for 36 yrs then retired from Continental Emsco. He served as a volunteer Special Deputy for the Posey County Sheriff’s dept. He was a 50 yr+ member of the Beulah Masonic Lodge in Mt. Vernon, IN, Scottish Rite Valley of Evansville and Hadi Shrine, where he was a member of the Horse Patrol, Legion of Honor, and Hospital Staff. He also belonged to the Sword of Bunker Hill. He was a 50 yr+ member of Owen Dunn American Legion Post 5, Mt. Vernon, IN, and VFW Post 1114, Evansville and was a Kentucky Colonel. While in the Horse Patrol he rode his special white horse Holly, who was blind, in the 1965 Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena California. He also rode in the Super Dome in New Orleans, in the Mesquite Rodeo in Texas, as well as parades in Ontario, Canada, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, Dayton OH, and St Louis, MO, just to name a few. He loved the fishing trips with friends to Red Lake, Ontario, Canada, running cattle with Doc Yoos on a ranch in Kansas and spending time with friends and family.

Surviving is his wife of 35 yrs, Gail (Cates), two daughters, Susan Henry (Andy) and Barbara Dale Crumbacher (Wendell), one grandson, Marc Crumbacher (Amanda) & two great grandsons, Nathan & Luke Crumbacher, sister, Lois Lipe, one step-grandson, one step-great grandson, three half-sisters, one half-brother, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Raymond and Richard.

The family extends special thanks to Greg & Kathy Baumgart and their children for the special love they provided to Hawk. Also a special thank you to Dr. Waits and Dr. Barnes and their staff, the Visiting Nurse employees helping with home health care, the nurses and staff at the VNA Hospice Center and Hawk’s “special girls” at the Deaconess Heart Group.

Services will be at 1pm Saturday, May 26th at Alexander West Chapel, officiated by Chaplain Scott Pilkington, with burial at Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery. Friends may visit Friday, May 25th, from 2 to 8 pm, with a Masonic service at 7pm at Alexander West Chapel. Friends may also visit Saturday from noon until service time at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions can be made to the VNA Charlier Hospice Center in Evansville or the Hadi Transportation Fund.

Condolences may be made online at www.AlexanderWestChapel.com.