William Craig Dawkins

Craig was born in Oklahoma City, the only child of June and Reba Dawkins. An energetic boy, he enjoyed being outdoors and spent summers at the lake with his parents. He also traveled to Boston every summer to visit his aunt, uncle and cousins who were more like brothers and a sister to Craig. There he developed a love for fine dining. He enjoyed playing basketball, attending Red Sox games and gained an appreciation for history and art.

Craig attended Cleveland Elementary, Pleasant Hill Middle School and Northwest Classen High school. In 1968 he was a member of the Knight's state champion basketball team. 1968 was also the year he met the love of his life, Debbie Barnett. Craig graduated from Duke University and Oklahoma City University Law School. During a break from school, Craig took a job with Sedco Drilling Company and worked on an offshore drilling rig in the North Sea.

Craig and Debbie married in 1977, and began to pursue their passion for travel. They became certified in scuba and traveled frequently. In all, they visited 51 countries together.

In 1986 Craig established "Dawkins Law Firm". He worked hard and gained the respect of fellow attorneys, judges and clients.

Craig and Debbie had two wonderful sons, Drew and Matthew. "Two for the Road" became four for the road. It was a great adventure with the boys, family trips would be filled with diving, fishing, camping, skiing, climbing and other adventure sports that Craig enjoyed watching but also participating in.

Somehow between growing the law firm and taking care of his family, Craig found the time to get his private pilots license. He bought land and helped his parents build a home at Lake Texoma, "The Big D Ranch". Craig purchased a small Cessna, tail # November 6243 Charlie, which provided a way to get there quickly on Friday afternoons and get the family back early Sunday morning to attend church.

Craig did not grow up in church but he began to seek God in his studies. A lifelong learner and an avid reader he studied Eastern religions and meditation and read books by many Christian writers. On Easter Sunday 2001 Craig accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior and his life was forever changed. He became a servant and true Disciple. He served as a Trustee Chairperson for many years supervising major renovations to the church. He also taught Sunday school to the Lamplighter class and spent many hours every week studying and preparing lessons.

As the boys got older and met their wives Craig always made sure there were planned vacation times with their sons and daughter in laws. Spending time together as a family was very important to him.

After a battle with cancer in 2018, Craig worked to reclaim his life. He retired from his 41-year law practice and spent lots of time reading, practicing yoga and riding his bike. During this time, Craig and Debbie welcomed their first grandchild, June Marie. The same year Craig and Debbie decided to do a "Pilgrimage of Thanksgiving ''. They traveled to Northern Spain and enjoyed their time together before joining a small group to walk 60 miles of the "Santiago de Compostela" (The Way of St. James).

The purchase of a home in Denver became Craig and Debbie's pandemic project. It has been a wonderful place for the whole family to gather. The family welcomed Rhett William on April 10, 2021. Craig's grandchildren June and Rhett were such a delight and joy to him.

Craig is survived by his 98-year-old mother Reba, his wife Debbie, son Drew and wife Brittany, grandchildren June and Rhett, son Matthew and wife Lindsay, sister and brother in law Cathy and Tom Connelly, His Aunt Jerre Gowdy and her family.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made in Craig's honor to Cornerstone United Methodist Church.