BOMBER MEMORIAL

GARY LEE HAWKINS ~ Class of 1960
February 26, 1943 - February 13, 2014

~

Gary, 70, died February 13, 2014 at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA after a brief illness. His family was by his side.

Born in Alliance, OH on February 26, 1943, Gary was the son of Donald S. and June Marie Funkhouser Hawkins. He graduated from Richland's Columbia High School in 1960. He married the former Cynthia A. Wickline on February 26, 1967.

Gary was a captain at the Franklin County (Mass) Sheriff's Office and was the head of the I.C.E. team until he retired on February 26, 2013. He previously was head of Transportation and the liaison for the Vermont inmates. He worked for the Sheriff’s Office for 42 years.

He served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Forrestal during the Cuban Missile Crisis at Guantanamo Bay.

Gary enjoyed spending time with his family and especially enjoyed taking long strolls with his wife, Cindy. He had a special relationship with his 8-year-old grandson Aiden, whom he adored. One of their favorite pastimes was to build LEGOs together.

Gary also enjoyed attending gun shows and traveled with his family each year to Ogunquit, ME where they loved to walk the Marginal Way together. He looked forward each year to cookouts and Christmas with extended family, where he would entertain everyone with his dry wit and discuss numerous topics at length. He loved animals and could fix just about anything. He was always there for friends and family.

Among his survivors, Gary leaves his wife of 47 years, his daughter, Nicole Kelly (Michael), his grandson, Aiden, his brother, Donald L. Hawkins ('65) and his wife Elaine Tesky Hawkins ('70), a brother-in-law Stearl Wickline, Jr. (Linda), his nieces and nephews, Jennifer, Justin, Tracie, and Cody, and extended family and friends.

Funeral services will be held Thursday 2/20/14 at 10am at the Kostanski Funeral Home, 1 Kostanski Square, Turners Falls, MA. Burial will follow at Springdale Cemetery. Calling hours will be held Wednesday evening from 4-7 pm at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, P.O. Box 4072, Pittsfield, MA 01202 or to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Regional Dog Shelter, 10 Sandy Lane, Turners Falls, MA 01376.

Guest Book at Kostanski Funeralhome