Douglas Hawk

Doug Hawk died at home in Penn Valley, CA, on Friday, April 21, 2017, at the age of 57, from Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. He battled his cancer with courage and fortitude through five different treatments until it overcame his entire body. He did not “lose his fight with cancer” because he kicked cancer’s butt for two and a half years!

Doug was born on May 15, 1959 in Charlotte, North Carolina to Jim and Connie Hawk. The family moved several times before settling in Dublin, California when Doug was in second grade. An introvert from the start, Doug’s best friend was a pencil, but he cared deeply about his family and friends. Doug graduated from Dublin High School in 1977. During high school, he worked at the drive-thru dairy and drove a Dodge Dart with flames on the sides. He then attended CalPoly State University in San Luis Obispo and earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1982 (with straight A’s), after spending his fifth year traveling abroad and studying architecture in Italy.

Doug worked for Murphy & Bunch Architects until starting his own firm in 1987. His first big project was designing his parents’ dream home, and helping his father build it. He later worked with Michael Murphy, and Owens Pacific Construction Company, and again as a one-man architectural firm until 1997 when he was hired as an architect, and then senior architect, for the Capital Improvements Division of Facilities Services of Placer County. During his 20 years with Placer County, Doug worked on projects big and small, from managing the construction of the Community Development Resource Center, to countless building remodels and everything in between, including the demolition of over 160,000 square feet of buildings on the DeWitt campus. Doug truly loved being an architect, even doing structural calcs made him happy. He especially liked helping design Placer County’s award winning exhibits for the State Fair each year, back when the counties actually built their own. His colleagues will remember him for his artistic abilities, professionalism, attention to detail, mischievous but caring nature, and his dry and quirky sense of humor.

Doug met Barbara Walsh, an elementary school teacher, in 2006. In 2008, they moved to Lake Wildwood in Penn Valley, halfway between his work in Auburn and hers in Oroville. In July 2010, Doug and Barbara were wed next to the lake in a unique ceremony that included multiple choice questions, squirt guns, super soakers, and a tropical island theme. The reception was an all-out water fight that people still talk about. They enjoyed their life together with their fur babies, Rudy and Addie, who eventually managed to turn Doug into a ‘cat person’!

Doug loved to watch and play golf, and played in the Wednesday night league at Black Oak in Auburn for many years. He also collected golf balls from all the places he traveled. He enjoyed boating on Lake Wildwood and invited his family to play at the lake. He loved the TV show Survivor and always knew who was going to be voted out next. Although he was not an outwardly affectionate man, he was very sensitive and the twinkle in his eyes let you know he cared. Doug led by example by working hard, helping others, and being kind to everyone. He deeply loved his friends and family. After his father died five years ago, Doug stepped up and took over many of Jim’s responsibilities and became the Rock of the family. He visited his mother every day after work, and in so many ways was just like his dad.

Doug is survived by his wife, Barbara Walsh Hawk, his mother, Connie Hawk, of Auburn, his sister, Micayla Hawk Kromrey, of Auburn, and two brothers, Keith Hawk, and his wife Barbie, of Sacramento, and Bryan Hawk, also of Sacramento. He leaves behind over a dozen nieces and nephews, and countless friends and colleagues. He was preceded in death by his father, Jim Hawk, of Auburn. He will be missed dearly by all who knew him, and remembered with happy and loving thoughts.

There will be a visitation for Doug on Monday, May 1, 2017 from 4 to 8 pm, at the Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home, 1331 Lincoln Way, Auburn, CA. A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Wednesday, May 3, 2017, at 11am, at the Pioneer United Methodist Church just across the street from the Chapel. Burial will be held immediately following at the New Auburn Cemetery, 1040 Collins Drive, Auburn, where Doug’s cremains will be buried beside his father. Following the graveside service, there will be a Celebration of Life Gathering at the Auburn Veterans Memorial Hall at 100 East Street. Friends are welcome and encouraged to join the family at all of these functions. In keeping with a running theme in Doug’s life, we request that you leave the black at home and wear your brightest “tropical island attire”. Cancer SUCKS, but Life is Good, and we should celebrate Doug’s life, and not dwell on what cancer did to him. Be prepared for squirt guns; Doug may be gone, but his mischievous love of fun still lives on!

In lieu of flowers, Doug’s wife requests that you donate blood at your local blood bank, or make a tribute donation in Doug’s name to CaringBridge.org, the website that helped keep his friends and family informed of his roller coaster ride with cancer. She would also like to thank all those who kept up with them in person or through Caring Bridge, your support meant the world to both her and Doug.