HAWKINS, JOHN WILLIAM JR. (HAWKEYE)

John W. Hawkins Jr., 29, of 8 Silver Lake View Road, Traverse City died Saturday night, October 21, 1976 of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.  The son of John and Dawn Hawkins, he was born at Manistee, June 21, 1947, and had lived in the Grand Traverse area since 1956.  John was a graduate of TCHS and the Germaine School of Photography, New York City.

He worked as a Record-Eagle photographer and columnist beginning in 1967 and leaving the newspaper in September 1975.  He was a U.S. Army photographer from 1968 to 1970, much of that time in DaNang, Vietnam as personal photographer for General McGowan.  Among his photographs are pictures of two American presidents, Richard Nixon during a visit to Thailand and Gerald Ford during his visit to Traverse City.

Mr. Hawkins was known throughout the region as Hawkeye and won several photographic awards for his work and wrote a column on Traverse City evening life caledl T.C. After Dark.  He subsequently wrote a column called Bay Bits for the Record-Eagle and later produced a daily radio show for WCCW in Traverse City.

Surviving are his father and stepmother, John and Cathyrn Hawkins of Interlochen, three sisters, Janet Kuczynski and Mrs. Michael (Judy) Powell both of Grand Rapids, and Mrs. Leslie (Jill) Sawyer of Philadelphia, Pa., and a half brother, Robert Hawkins of Interlochen.  Preceding him in death was his mother.  The Rev. Robert C. Brubake officiated at the funeral and burial was at the Mt. Hope Cemetery, Green Lake Township.  Friends called at the Reynolds-Hanson Funeral Home, Traverse City.  Memorials were directed to the American Cancer Society.

The Record-Eagle later published a memorial tribute to his photographic work.       [more]
Posted By: Administrator - 04-11-2005
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