John Wayne Hankins, 78, of Pflugerville, Texas was called home to be with the Lord on March 3, 2020. He was born the eldest of six children to Jack and Imogene Hankins in Houston, Texas on August 9, 1941. At the age of two his family moved to Lamar, Arkansas where he spent his childhood and adolescence, attending Lamar High School and graduating in 1959. He joined the Air Force in 1963 and served as a Medical Specialist for four years. During his service he was stationed at Howard and Albrook Air Force bases located in the Panama Canal Zone, where he met the love of his life, Margaret Hofmann in 1965. They were married on January 6, 1966 at a beautiful ceremony in Panama.
John and Margaret returned to the United States after he was transferred to Austin, Texas, where he served at Bergstrom Air Force Base until he was honorably discharged on August 15, 1967. Following his discharge, John remained a service member in the Air Force Reserves until 1969. During this time, the couple lived in Austin for eight years, where they welcomed their three boys; Roger in 1967, Gary in 1969 and Brian in 1972. After serving his country, he began an esteemed career with IBM where he started in the assembly line and retired as a beloved First Class Manager with 31 years of service. In 1975 John and Margaret built and moved into their dream home on a beautiful plot of land in Pflugerville, Texas. That same year, John and Margaret became members at First Baptist Church of Pflugerville where he served as the Treasurer, a Deacon and managed the construction of many buildings and projects for the church. He loved his church family well. After retiring from IBM, John became a business owner in 1992 by opening a car lot, RGB Auto Sales, named for his three sons, in Pflugerville. He successfully ran the business with his son, Roger, for 25 years.
He was a man of many talents but the best being his ability to make a friend with anyone he met, going on to consider many friends family and treating them as such. His kindness, hospitality and kinship extended to everyone including many local waitresses, store managers, bank clerks, dance hall owners and everyone in between. John loved being outdoors. He enjoyed working on tractors and attending cattle auctions with his grandson, Jonathan. He also enjoyed teaching his grandson, Owen, and great grandson, Eli, how to raise chickens this past year. John especially loved music as he had a beautiful singing voice. You could always find him humming a tune or breaking into song in the middle of a conversation. He passed down his love of music to his family including his son Brian and grandchildren Allison and Jonathan. John made sure the Hankins home was always full of music. He often carried recordings of his son and grandchildren singing and was eager to share these with anyone willing to listen.
John was a God fearing man, loving husband, devoted father, the proudest grandfather and great grandfather, beloved uncle and a loyal friend to many. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, church and the whole Pflugerville community.
John is survived by wife Margaret Hankins of 54 years, son, Roger Hankins and wife, Shelli Hankins, son, Gary Hankins, son, Brian Hankins and wife Alisan Hankins, Grandchildren, Allison Dickey and husband Kevin Dickey, Jonathan Hankins and wife Kaitlyn Hankins, Owen Hankins, Great -Grandchildren, Eli Dickey, Jaiden Dickey and Addyson Hankins, brother Dean Hankins and sister Becky Mika and many beloved nieces and nephews. Survivors also include a loving extended family and a long list of close friends.
John is preceded in death by his father, Jack Hankins, mother, Imogene Anderson, brother, Roy Hankins, and sisters Linda Rogers and Doris Skaggs and his great niece, Jordan Azevedo.
In lieu of flowers and gifts, the Hankins family asks that you donate to Austin Hospice or First Baptist Church Pflugerville building fund.
