Obituary of Forrest Hawkins

Forrest Edward Hawkins, 88, whom most know as Squirt, passed away December 29, 2012 peacefully in his sleep after greeting all his family at Christmas. He was born on December 22, 1924 at the family farm, Hawkins Dairy in Easton, WV; the son of the late Arthur Cecil Hawkins and Nellie Marion (Swearingin) Hawkins. Forrest lived his entire life on Hawkins Dairy where he worked on the farm with his father delivering fresh milk throughout Morgantown. After he graduated from University High School he began a career as a carpenter under the guidance of Fred Robertson. His career as a builder of custom homes was so successful many individuals waited two to three years just to have him do the work. In the 1960's he and Raymond Baker formed H&B Construction Company, which later added Dr. John Trotter to become HB&T. He loved to work and every home he built was carefully crafted with integrity. His last major project was the construction of the new Avery Methodist Church where at the age of 83 he laid the bricks for the church he had been a member of all his life. Though he ceased to build homes, he never retired from building and the organizations he belonged to received his special attention. He was a 4-H All-Star and was a member of the Camp Muffly Board in the 60's. He built a new kitchen there in 1965, and worked on projects for the camp for the next 40 years. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge obtaining the 32nd degree, and became one of the founders of the Mountaineer Patrol, donating land and building a pavilion on that land for the Patrol. Forrest also joined the Elks Lodge where he built a custom bar for the lodge from some hickory lumber he had milled himself. He was a member of the Morgantown Union Lodge No.4, the Osiris Shrine, the Morgantown Shrine Club, the Royal Order of Jesters and the Loyal Order of the Moose. He married the love of his life, Ethel Mae Provance on May 25, 1947 in a plane piloted by Col. Ralph Abertazzie while flying over the family farm. They reared three children on the farm. Edward Alan Hawkins DDS, Linda Ann Hawkins Dimmick and her husband William Fred Dimmick II, and Terry Joe (TJ) Hawkins and his close friend Sharon Sunderland. His greatest joy was the time he spent with his grandchildren, William Forrest Dimmick, Kathryn Ann Dimmick Jones and her husband Warren Scott, Britney Lynn Dimmick, and Nicholas Edward Hawkins and his great-grandchildren Tyler Warren Jones and Jacob Forrest Jones In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his brothers Carroll Hawkins and Arthur Dale Hawkins and two sisters Eileen Cobun Nelms and Barbara Jean Kuhn. Friends will be received 2-4 PM and 6-8 PM Wednesday, January 2, 2013 at Avery Methodist Church, 1158 Cheat Road, Morgantown, WV 26508 and from 10 AM until time of service. Service will be Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 11:00 AM at Avery Methodist Church with Rev. Richard L. Work Jr. officiating. Interment will follow in Beverly Hills Memorial Gardens, Westover. Morgantown Union Lodge No. 4 will be conducting graveside services. In lieu of flowers Donations can be made to Camp Muffy P.O. Box 585 Morgantown, WV 26508; or Avery Methodist Church 1152 Cheat Road Morgantown, WV 26508