aka “Daddy Gene”
W.E. Gene Hawkins was born in Atlanta Georgia on Christmas Day in 1923. He was the sixth child of his parents, Harwell Parks Hawkins and Nora Lula Johnson. The children were “stair steps” each two years apart. When Gene was just two years old, his father died, leaving his mother to care for her children alone.
Gene saw hard work before him everyday as his mother labored tirelessly to provide and his older siblings also worked to contribute. At an early age he became an entrepreneur through sales. He had an award winning Atlanta Constitution route, he bought fruit and candy at wholesale houses to resell, all the while dreaming of attending Georgia Tech which was simply not a financial possibility.
There was still fun in his life with sneaking in to Atlanta Crackers baseball games, competing in yoyo contests, spending summers at his Uncle John A’s farm in north Georgia, seeing the world premiere of Gone with the Wind at the Fox Theatre, saving for a bicycle that made the paper routes even more profitable.
After his father’s death, Gene’s mother Nora joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It answered her painful questions about the fate of her beloved but unbaptized husband. Nora was always a huge figure in Gene’s life. They attended church in a small group in Atlanta, where he met Paula Fickes in Sunday School when she was nine and he was 13. It was not quite love at first sight but grew into something very special.
During his senior year at Atlanta Technical High School, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Gene enlisted in the Army Reserves and stated he liked electronics. The Reserve started training him in radio, radar, and morse code. He entered the service at Fort McPherson, Atlanta and then traveled to San Francisco to board the troop ship Mount Vernon and journeyed to Sydney, Australia. He worked at a member of technical intelligence units in Gen Douglas MacArthur’s Eighth Army, fighting his way across hostile Pacific Islands.
In December 1945 he qualified for discharge and chose to do this at Ft Douglas Utah, which was close to Paula and her family in Logan. The romance began in earnest.
Gene returned to Atlanta and achieved his life goal of enrolling in Georgia Tech. The GI bill made this possible and he was forever grateful to his country for providing this benefit. It truly changed his life. He took maximum credits in his pursuit of a BA degree in electrical engineering so he could graduate sooner. He finished in less than three years.
Paula and Gene married in September 1947. He chose to continue his education further and received a masters in electrical engineering. He was then able to land a job with a manufacturers’ rep firm that fused his technical expertise with his lifelong experience in sales.
His firm asked him to move to Florida to open an office there. Gene and Paula took a week long trip around Florida and decided, like Walt Disney, on central Florida, Winter Park specifically.
In 1957 they built their dream home in Maitland in Dommerich Estates. It stands today as a beautiful example of mid century modern architecture. Eventually they decided to live on the lake and bought a lot on Lake Maitland, both the front and back yards. There he served as general contractor of an authentic historic Spanish home designed by Chaz Willaim whom he regarded as a genius. It is a regular call out on the Winter Park Chain of Lakes Boat Tour.
His business was going well and he decided to buy out his partners and open shop on his own. Hawkins Hutto hit Florida at the right time. They hired other engineers to help them sell their manufacturer’s products statewide.
Gene and Paula were true patriots who loved their country. They were involved in politics in Florida and about this time Paula was asked to run for the US Senate. With Gene’s financial and emotional support, she succeeded in becoming the first woman to serve Florida in the US Senate. Together they made marvelous contributions to the success of our country.
Gene decided to retire when he was 70. He often said he retired too soon. Hard work has been part of his life since he was a young boy.
But in addition to his professional work, Gene served in positions of leadership for the LDS church throughout Florida into his 90s. His firm testimony of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ was the foundation of his family. They are sealed together for time and all eternity. It is a great comfort to us.
Walter Eugene “Gene” Hawkins passed away July 1, 2023. His dear wife Paula preceeded him in death in 2009. It is a joy to know that they are together again.
They have three children: Genean (Joel McKinnon); Kevin (Jean Scoll) and Kelley (David McCoy).
Next came eleven grandchildren: Courtney McKinnon (Nate Winget); Matt McKinnon (Nancy Meik); Ashley McKinnon (Scott Jackson); Alex McKinnon Preisser; Adam McKinnon (Abbie Waters); Jake Hawkins (Whitney Ryser); Jenny Hawkins; Kristen Hawkins (Charlie Hammond); Kendall Hawkins (Kacey Spurrier); Chase McCoy and Riley McCoy.
And as of present count, 25 great grandchildren: Reagan, Ruby, Wade and Logan Winget; Suzanna Joy and Hank McKinnon; Tyler, Joel, Luke and Brooks Jackson; Coleman, McKinley and Hawkins Preisser; Olivia, Violet, Georgia and Teddy McKinnon; Luke, Drew, Cody and Kate Hawkins; Simon and Sammie Hammond; Sonny and Mac Geno Hawkins. With more to come …
Daddy Gene was an engineer, a patriot, a patriarch, a gentleman, an entrepreneur and a gospel scholar. His family loves him down to its youngest member. His kindness and generosity will not be forgotten. Gratitude surrounded him his entire life. What a magnificent example for us all.
A celebration of his marvelous life will be held Wednesday July 12 at 11:00 am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Chapel at 45 E. Par Street in College Park.
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