Obituaries

Mr. Matthew Thomas Hawkins, age 39, of 893 Autumn Lane in Charlotte ,NC died on Thursday, July 12, 2012.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at St. Peter By-the-Lake Episcopal Church  with Rev. Ron Taylor officiating.  

Mr. Hawkins was born March 19, 1973 in Salem , Ohio to Francis K. and Jeanne Klemann Hawkins.   He was a homebuilder, teacher, and franchise owner.  

He is survived by his parents, Francis(Bud)  and Jeanne Hawkins of Denver, NC; one son, Liam Hawkins of Charlotte; one brother, Andrew  Hawkins of Charlotte; two sisters, Jessica Hawkins-Haroon of Boston, MA and Shannon Hawkins-Loudon of Atlanta, GA; and grandmother, Mary Beck of Lakeland, FL. 

Although Matthew’s work spanned several fields and included  business and special education, his strongest gifts were his carpentry/house renovation skills and his  ability to appreciate  the qualities of the people he walked with during his life’s journey. His generosity and unfailing hope in others inspires all who love him and his example has been a catalyst towards positive life change for many of us. Additionally, he used the means that he was given to restore Mother Earth, and loved teaching children to value and protect nature.

Most importantly he was a devoted father. Matt was happiest hiking and spending time in nature with his son.