Dana Hawkes of San Marcos was a husband, father, beloved Papa, college professor and devoted man of faith who also served part of his career as a Baptist minister. But his wife, after his death on September 21, 2021, gave him the most appropriate title of all: “he was the greatest man I ever knew.”
Hawkes, 84, passed after a quiet struggle with cancer.
He is survived by his wife Karen Jensen, daughters Julia Hawkes Reece and her husband Kevin Reece of Dallas, TX, Lisa Hawkes Peck and her husband Randall Peck of Virginia Beach, VA, and granddaughters Aubrey Reece of Chicago, IL, Jessica Peck Knocklein and her husband Oliver Knocklein of Washington, D.C., and Shelby Peck of Virginia Beach currently a student at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Karen Jensen’s children also welcomed Dana into their family when they married in 2013. He is also survived by daughters Jennifer McCullough Ziegler and her husband Geoff Ziegler of Hinsdale, Illinois, Joy McCullough-Carranza and her husband Mariño Carranza of Seattle, and grandchildren Timothy Ziegler, Daniel Ziegler, Joel Ziegler, Cordelia Carranza and Joaquin Carranza.
Dana is preceded in death by his beloved first wife Shirley Scoggins Hawkes whom he met while they were students at Westmont College in Santa Barbara in the late 1950’s. They were married for 51 years until Shirley’s passing in 2010.
Dana Hawkes attended the University of Southern California, completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at Westmont, obtained his Master of Divinity degree at California Baptist Theological Seminary in Covina in 1964 before pursuing graduate studies in Telecommunications at USC and then receiving a Master of Arts degree in Radio and Television at San Diego State University in 1979. His pastoral assignments included Fountain Valley First Baptist Church and University Avenue Baptist Church in San Diego before his career transitioned to educational instruction in radio and television.
After serving as an instructor and lecturer at the University of San Diego, San Diego State, and California Baptist Theological Seminary, in 1973 he became the founding professor of the Radio and Television program at Palomar Community College in San Marcos. In a career that saw him serve as professor, Director of Educational Television, Chairperson of the Palomar Community College Department of Communication and eventually as Professor Emeritus, he was recognized in 1998 as a Silver Circle Award recipient by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for “over 25 years of outstanding service to the San Diego Broadcast community.”
But throughout his educational career he was continuously active in pursuit of his Christian faith and the desire to lead others to Christ. He served in multiple capacities as teacher, mentor, deacon, counselor, and lecturer in churches throughout Southern California including Solana Beach Presbyterian Church, where he also served as an Elder, and Emmanuel Faith Community Church in Escondido.
In his final years, Dana Hawkes persevered through a variety of physical ailments. But in that struggle, he only cemented his legacy as the “greatest man” his wife Karen ever knew.
Spinal ailments forced the reliance on an electric scooter for most of his transportation. But there were still Sunday school lessons that needed to be taught, a world of European and Alaskan cruises he wanted his new wife to experience, granddaughter high school and college graduations on the East Coast that he needed to attend, and trips throughout the Midwest to witness a granddaughter on stage in multiple musical productions. He made the sometimes-difficult journeys to see them all and let his family know that Papa was their biggest fan.
Memorial services were held September 29th at Solana Beach Presbyterian Church.
Alvin Dana Hawkes will be laid to rest at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura County.
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