Robert Edward Hawkins

1967 - 2020

Robert Edward Hawkins

(1967-2020) Rob Hawkins passed away on November 5 due to a heart condition. He leaves behind his beloved wife Laura Snyder and daughters Rowan, Kendall, and Valerie, of Timonium MD; five unapologetically slothful cats; his father Chuck Hawkins of Fort Thomas KY; his mother Barbara Hawkins of Spring Arbor MI; his sisters Rachael Hawkins (Chris Monteparo) of Fort Thomas and Elyse Hawkins of Newport, and one nephew; his many wonderful friends; and chocolate chip cookies.

Rob died doing what he loved: running. More importantly, Rob lived his life doing what he loved. Rob worked at the Space Telescope Science Institute for 21 years, and at the time of his death was Branch Deputy and Principal Engineer, Astronomical Planning and Support Branch, SCOPE. He adored his job and his workmates and could talk for hours about space exploration, the Hubble, the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope, or the game of Total Insanity he played during lunch.

Rob was also a loving and selfless father and husband. When his first wife Valerie (Pliske) Hawkins died from leukemia, Rob raised his daughter Rowan alone, yet he gave her all the love and care of two parents. And when Rob married Laura Snyder, he raised her daughters Kendall and Valerie as his own. He drove the kids to school every day; helped them with their school projects at 11:00 at night on the day before the project was due; attended art shows, soccer matches, and graduations; and occasionally gave the girls a hard time for not taking out their trash.

Ask any of his friends and family, and they will tell you that Rob Hawkins was happiest when he was making others happy…or when he was winning a game of D&D, Carcassonne, or Civilization.

Due to Covid, there will not be a memorial service at this time, although we hope to have one in the spring. In the meantime, Rob's many friends have prepared a memorial web page. https://www.forevermissed.com/robert-edward-hawkins/about We so hope that everyone who loved Rob and his family will post their pictures, videos, and comments.

In lieu of flowers, if you would like to support the family, we ask that you donate to Rob's daughters' college fund. Rob revered education and was a huge supporter of women in STEM and every other field. He was everyone's second favorite Feminist. (RBG: Rest in Power) https://www.gofundme.com/f/college-fund-for-rob-hawkins039-daughters