George S. HAWKINS

HAWKINS, George S.
born at Lake Egmont, Nova Scotia, July 16, 1924, died on September 24, 2005, in Halifax. Son of Charles and Nellie Hawkins, sister of Edith (William Mingo), husband of Nancy (née Moir, d. 1978), father of George (Anne, d.), Robert (Margaret), Sean, Michael (Kathryn), and Nancy, grandfather of Stephanie, Amy, Christie, Nicholas, Matthew, Alexandra, and Hannah. He died of cancer that was only detected after a series of small strokes at the end of August. He will be missed by his family, all of whom were able to be with him in his last days. He was, among many other things in his life, a lawyer, businessman and political activist. He experienced success in these fields, but his greatest enthusiasm was for life itself. He had a fine appreciation of food and a highly developed sense of style, which ranged from his personal dress to his love of art, architecture (especially English and French cathedrals) and furnishings. A vibrant man, in his early years he loved sailing (a taste he acquired during his service in the Royal Canadian Navy where he served in the Volunteer Reserve as a Sub-Lieutenant during the Second World War) but in later decades preferred running (especially around Point Pleasant Park well into his seventies) and swimming (along the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean up until the end of this past summer). He had a tremendous fascination with both words and the world they are used to describe, which drew him to read a wide range of dictionaries (especially the OED), international newspapers, and non-fiction throughout his life. In later years he learned to read a foreign language and followed the media in France closely, consuming everything from the tabloid press to the serious weeklies. A resident of Halifax for over half a century, he was a strong supporter of many of its public institutions, including Neptune Theatre (of which he was a Life Director) and the Halifax Infirmary. In later years he took a particular interest in tracing the ancestry of his father's family back to Lawrencetown, and at the end of his life he chose to be buried not far from where his father had begun his life, ever close to the ocean he so enjoyed yet not far from the city that was his home. The visitation will take place at J.A. Snow Funeral Home, 2666 Windsor Street, Halifax from 2 to 4 pm and 7 to 9 pm on Wednesday September 28. The funeral service will be held at the same venue at 11 am on Thursday September 29 with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cole Harbour Heritage Society for the preservation of the Meeting House atop of the hill overlooking the harbour. A private family interment will follow at a later date.