Obituary

Here is the text of my grandfather's obituary, as originally printed in the Bedford Times-Mail.

Richard Dale Hawkins, MD, 84
BEDFORD — Richard Dale Hawkins, MD, 84, died on Friday, October, 12, 2007, at the Stone Bridge Health Campus in Bedford.

He was preceded in death by his parents: Hobart and Sally (Harrell) Hawkins, and by three sisters: Norma Wagner, Phyllis Lewis and Mary Marrow.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years: Jean (Hall) Hawkins, two sisters: Georgia Israel and Betty Kirkman; four children: Karen Weaver (Bill) of Birmingham, AL; Drew Hawkins (Peggy) of Greenwood, IN; Penny Hawkins Taylor of Carmel, IN, and Bret Hawkins (Barbara) of Bedford; eight grandchildren: Emily Weaver Johnson, Derek Weaver, Bret David Hawkins, Lawrence Taylor, Jr., Rachel Stiffler, Erin Taylor, Kate Hawkins, and Mary Hawkins, and five great-grandchildren: Aidan and Asher Weaver, Owen Johnson, Grant Hawkins and Brakston Taylor.

Dr. Hawkins began his education at Edwards one-room schoolhouse in Marshall Township. He attended Needmore High School, graduated in 1940 from Bedford High School, and in 1943 from DePauw University, which he attended on a Rector Scholarship. In 1946, he graduated magna cum laude from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, and was inducted into AOA medical student honor society. Following an internship and residency at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, he served in the military as base pediatrician at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX. Following that, he practiced pediatrics at Wharton, TX, while he also taught in the Department of Pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine (1949-51), and practiced in Biloxi, MS (1951-54). He returned to Bedford in 1954, where he practiced for over 25 years. In 1958, he and four other Bedford physicians founded the Edgewood Clinic, and he was instrumental in the creation in 1970 of Bedford Medical Center (BMC), becoming president of its board of directors. He also served as a consultant with Gilligan and Associates of Peoria, IL, where he was involved in the planning and construction of health care facilities in Indiana, Ohio, Florida, and New Jersey. In 1977, he became the Executive Director of the Edgewood Clinic and in 1991, took on the additional position of CEO of BMC. In 1994, he became the CEO when BMC became Bedford Regional Medical Center and remained in that position until his retirement in 1995.

He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Bedford, where he taught the Mary and Lazarus Sunday School class for many years and served over the years as a deacon and a member of various committees, including Pulpit, Pledge, and Building Committees. In addition to his family and church, his other interests included fishing, community, flying (private pilot), vacationing with family, and Bedford, BNL and IU basketball.

Visitation will be from 2:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. Monday, October 15th, and from 11:00 until 1:00 on Tuesday, October 16th, at the First Baptist Church (Washington Avenue and 20th Street). The funeral will be at the church at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 16th, with Dr. Kregg Burris officiating. Burial will follow in the Green Hill Cemetery.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the First Baptist Church of Bedford. Family and friends are invited to sign the guestbook and light a candle in memory of Dr. Hawkins at www.daycarter.com.

The family wishes to express its great appreciation for the extraordinary care provided by Jeannie Judah, and also for the compassionate care provided by Dr. Kamal Girgis, Bedford Regional Medical Center, the staff of Stonebridge Health Campus and Hoosier Uplands Hospice.