Joel Hawkins, beloved son of Dorothy Hawkins and James Sellon, was born on Easter Sunday, March 26, 1978, and passed away on April 15, 2020, at the age of 42. Joel is survived by his loving family including mother Dorothy, stepfather Max Christian Schultz, uncles Jeffrey Hawkins, Jim Suess, Joshua and Darcy and Ryan Suess, aunts Constance, Christine and Catherine, as well as cousins, the Zoe Walrond and Myron Levin family, the Sharon (the late Bob) Harris family, the Charles and Jane Hawkins family, the Katherine Hawkins family, the Misty and Michael Lanier family, Michael Lanier, Richard Jiru, Dawna and Jon Jiru-Kuch and family, Michael Jiru and family, cousins Erik Jiru and family, the Michael Kamps family, the Schultz family, the Jane Kamps-Strauss family, the Bourne family, the Chase family, and many other extended family relations and friends across the United States.
Joel was preceded in death by members of the Hawkins, Habberstad, and Walrond families, as well as his grandparents, Mary Alice Jiru-Hawkins and Merrill M. Hawkins, of Brookfield, Wisconsin, his uncle John Hawkins of Denver, Colorado, his uncles Danny (the late Irene) Jiru and Jack and Dorothy Jiru of Los Angeles California, Uncle Howard and Aunt Mary Mc-Coy-Kamps of Waukesha and Pewaukee, Wisconsin, also aunt Gladys Kamps and uncle Tom and aunt Dot McDermott from Los Angeles, uncle Tom Jiru of Seattle Washington and cousins Mary Louise and Michael Jiru-McGuire, also from Seattle, Washington. Also, Alice and John Kamps-Jiru and Dorothy Mae Jiru.
Throughout Joel’s young life, he collected many, many friends. It would be difficult to name any enemies. At a very early age, Joel’s first playmates were his cousins, Joshua and Ryan Suess. It was evident from observing them play that Joel had a keen sense of human relationships and cooperation in play as the key to success in life. Joshua and Ryan provided Joel with his very first “best friends” models. They played well together whenever they were together, and my sister Cathy and I made sure they had ample contact to establish them as familiar characters to each other in their lives.
The next set of friends came via one very special neighbor across the street who was almost exactly one year younger than Joel: James Carroll. They met when Joel was two and James was one. Best friends for life – Joel and James played endlessly on Milwaukee’s upper east side as buddies wherever they went. James’ older brother Matt was often involved, and like most big brothers, Matt sort of picked on James a little bit. Joel was quick to rise to James’ defense - all the time, every time. Until God called James home last September, Joel half-expected James to again come couch-surfing at his apartment soon, as he and his life partner Jen, were going through some troubling times in their relationship. Did Joel know how to find, establish and keep lifelong friendships? You bet! The list of important “brothers from others’ mothers” just kept growing and growing.
Joel was blessed with his grandmother’s unnaturally young looks throughout his life (thanks, Mom!), a keen intellect, an insatiable curiosity about life’s curiosities – anything and everything sparked his imagination….Star Wars? Can we mention all the role-playing James and Joel and Matt did with Star Wars figures and Transformers? They were playing first-person shooter games and acting out their own sci-fi action scenes before they were even invented! Thank goodness Matt and James’ older sister, Nina, was usually on the scene when their mother, Toni or their father, Michael wasn’t available to settle disputes!
Joel’s interest in how things worked led him to de-construct anything he could find to see how it was put together….to the point where I looked at rummage sales for alarm clocks and such for him to figure out, so the entire household supply of things held together by screws, nuts, bolts, nails, etc. wouldn’t inadvertently be destroyed in the service of Joel’s curiosity!
Music, visual arts, dance, juggling, hacky sack and devil stick prowess, games, cooking great food – inventive! There are more, but others must tell the tale of Joel’s journey through life from their perspective below. In his early years, Joel participated in many of his school’s activities such as drama productions and music concerts – Joel was born into an extremely musical family, and in 1983 at age five, he sang the lead solo during the offering section of our parents’ 40th wedding anniversary mass, backed up by the Hawkins Family Singers. Even at that tender age, Joel was holding his own against the substantially amplified four-part harmony vocals and instrumental accompaniment provided by my sisters, my brother John and me. First experience handling a microphone, too – a chip of the old block, according to his whole happily musical Hawkins family.
Initial lessons in Taekwondo during middle school years led to an abiding interest in several martial arts, including taking many classes in the Afro-Brazilian martial art form, Capoeira, when working toward his degree at Madison Area Technical College. Joel, along with his friends learned martial arts skills by practicing with one another.
When Joel was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at age 13, his “brothers from other mothers” took on the role of guardians of Joel’s health and well-being when they were together. They all held that sacred brothers’ bond and trust until the day Joel died. For these people who will be heard beyond my own experiences with Joel, I am extremely grateful. They were Joel’s personal guardian angels on earth the way they watched out for him, while he continued to pursue a very full life. They are James Carroll, (deceased), Morgan Bourne, Luke Walkowiak, Jon Levering and Timothy Lundgren.
Timothy’s a more recent addition to the group, but no less important here. Timothy and I share a special bond of care around Joel’s health, in the form of Timothy looking out for my health as an unpaid volunteer personal assistant and life auxiliary. In 2010, at Joel’s request, Timothy came to assist me while Joel completed his college studies and internship as an IT-Computer Systems Administration Specialist at MATC. Joel knew I worried excessively about his health, and that led to a host of health problems all my very own. Timothy and I have now been good friends for 10 years. Yes, indeed. Timothy belongs among the “Joel’s brothers from other mothers” as well. Think: “The Upside” – featuring Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston and Nicole Kidman….a strange, and miraculously true story, for sure! Quite similar in function to Timothy’s and my own long-standing friendship. In 2014, Timothy rushed me to the hospital during my heart attack, because Joel was already living in Milwaukee, and recovering from his first heart attack six months before. Good planning, Joel! I’m so proud of you!
While studying at Madison Area Technical College, Joel was part of a work/study program which featured an internship for his field of study in the IT Support Department for the teachers at the Downtown campus. When his final year of study ensued, his lead work/study boss-mentor placed Joel in an enhanced paid position as the Head of the IT Support Department for the Downtown campus when he retired. Joel also serviced the IT Support Department at the Truax campus during his internship. His mastery of and never-ending curiosity in learning everything he could about technology propelled Joel into being chosen for his first full-time position in the IT Department at IStream Financial Services. Joel held this position until his passing. Joel graduated from Madison Area Technical College with an Associate in Applied Science Degree as an IT-Computer Systems Administration Specialist on December 23, 2011.
A service honoring Joel’s life will take place on Sunday, September 27th, at 2:00PM at Feerick Funeral Home, 2025 E. Capitol Drive, Shorewood, WI 53211. A celebration of his life will immediately follow, with food, drink, music and laughter, from 3:00-8:00PM. Memorials in Joel’s honor may be made to a charity that you choose or any of the following organizations that Joel would have loved to contribute to if he had lived long enough to have cash enough to do it: The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, The Grand Avenue Club (in Milwaukee, WI), Clubhouse International, The American Heart Association, Versiti Donate Life Organization, American Stroke Foundation, the Crisis Intervention Team of the Milwaukee Police department and any Fire and Police EMT rescue organization.
Link to live stream the services for Joel: https://player.cloud.wowza.com/hosted/zs5f9yfc/player.html
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