Lynn Hawkins King

March 24, 1945 – December 13, 2025

Lynn Hawkins King entered the Kingdom of Heaven early on Saturday morning and now serves as a guardian angel to her granddaughter after a valiant three -week battle with pneumonia. Born in Wilcox County and raised in Collinsville, Lynn was known for her vibrant red hair, headstrong personality, and fiercely loyal dedication to her family.

She graduated from Collinsville High School having been head varsity cheerleader, homecoming queen, and Salutatorian of her class. She went on to win the Miss Dekalb County competition and placed as fourth runner-up for Miss Alabama. A graduate of the University of Montevallo with a M.S.W. from the University of Alabama, she began her career as a social worker in Etowah County before meeting her husband of 22 years, George D. King, Jr. She later taught at John Jones Elementary School and Westminster Christian School. To celebrate the birth of their son, George D. King, III, Lynn and her husband flew on a Pan Am flight in 1977 that circumnavigated the Earth in just over 54 hours, setting a Guiness world record. Lynn became a leader in the local and state community, having been instrumental in the creation of Falls Fest, and served on the inaugural Governor’s State Arts Council at the request of Governor George Wallace. At the request of Congressman Tom Bevill, she spearheaded the Congressional Arts Competition for the fourth congressional district, whereby students competed to have their artistic creations displayed in the United States Capitol. She was a finalist for the prestigious White House Fellows Program, and studied in Washington, D.C. at the National Gallery of Art. She also held executive roles at Gadsden State Community College and in government relations at Sonat Corporation in Birmingham. She was a member of the Antiquarian Society, Mystery Ball Club, Daughters of the American Revolution, First United Methodist Church, and the Gadsden State Cardinal Foundation, having served as an officer of those organizations.

Widowed at the age of 45, Lynn faced adversity as a single mother and dedicated herself to giving her son the best chances for success. Instilling the values of hard work, integrity, and ambition, she always encouraged her son to pursue his dreams no matter how far away they make take him from her. She had an exceptional eye for detail, beauty, and décor that led to her being asked to plan countless events for Alabama’s most prominent leaders as well as her dear friends.

Upon the death of her father, Chad Hawkins, Lynn and her family had the inspiration to preserve his memory by advocating for the Collinsville High School football stadium to be named for her father, where he was quarterback, Co-Valedictorian with his future wife, Ola Frank Elrod, and later served as Principal. To continue her family’s legacy, the Chad Hawkins Stadium Foundation is being created to support the maintenance and ongoing improvements of the stadium, which lies below the cemetery where her parents are buried, and her ashes will be laid to rest. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to the Chad Hawkins Stadium Foundation and the Gadsden State Cardinal Foundation with reference to the Chad Hawkins Scholarship.

The family would like to express gratitude to Dr. Greg Little of Birmingham, the wonderful caregiving team at Healing Hearts, the staff at Regency Pointe, her driver, Dana Laconto, all of whom took great care of her when she needed it most. Lynn is survived by her sister, Fran Hawkins of Gadsden, son, George D. King, III, daughter-in-law, Lauren King, and granddaughter, Daphne Allison King, all of Jupiter, Florida.

A celebration of her life will be held Sunday, January 11th , 2026 at the Gadsden Country Club from 2:00-4:00pm.