Darrell Barnes Hawkins

Darrell Barnes Hawkins, 89, of Sequim, Washington, was finally able to return home to that God who gave him life, and to his wife, Karen, of 65 years, his sister, Janet, half-brother Gordon and his parents, after a long fight with dementia on April 6, 2025. Darrell was born in Santa Ana, California on December 24th, 1935, to Brazee Hawkins and Kathryn Dollie Barnes Hawkins. His parents moved to San Diego when he was 4 and rented a small home in Mission valley, then moved to a small farm when he was 8, where he learned to take care of all the animals and the garden. He started working at a very young age, his first job being at a dairy when he was 11. His next job was on a chicken farm, which he didn't enjoy very much. From age 14 until he graduated from high school, he worked at the hospital (2 hours each weekday, 8 hours on Saturdays and all holidays) doing a variety of odd chores. He seemed to always have a job, spending more time working than "hanging out" with friends, though he did have several girlfriends in high school.
He played a few sports in Junior High but never enjoyed watching sports on television. He attended Scout camp, and was very active in Jr. ROTC and was even battalion commander his senior year of high school.
After high school, he attended Brigham Young University for a few years. He then went into the army where he was 'trained to be a killer" as he sort of jokingly wrote to his parents. Thankfully, he never had to serve in combat but enjoyed running the PX in Alaska. After a few years, he was honorably discharged and returned to BYU where he didn't quite complete a quarter before heading home to San Diego. Soon after returning home and starting a job cleaning buses at the bus depot, he met Karen Larson, whom his family was already acquainted with. After their first date, he declared to his brother, David, that he was going to marry "what's her name." They weren't apart for more than a day after that for the next 10 years. 14 months later, on September 27, 1958, they were sealed for time and all eternity in the Mesa Arizona Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
When they married, Darrell and Karen moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where Karen was from. They only lived in 2 different rentals before buying their home on Mulberry Street where they would raise their family of 6 children–Shauna, Lamar, Miriam, Kirk, Janell and Jason. Darrell worked at a variety of jobs (manager of a miniature golf course, construction worker, meter reader, cabinet maker). His cabinet-making skills were developed as he worked for Arizona Public Service (APS) in their cabinet shop. He also practiced remodeling homes on his in-laws' and his parents' homes, as well as the ongoing project of turning their 2-bedroom 1 bath home into a 6-bedroom 2 bath home over the next 40 years. He greatly enjoyed the demolition part and was known for taking out walls or even a deck at the slightest suggestion. In 1980, he left APS to start his own cabinetmaking/remodeling business, where he would work until retirement. He was never short of work and vacations were spent visiting family and doing remodel jobs for them. Darrell learned to weld and make jungle gyms for his children, many of his children's families, as well as several others over the years.
Their home was one of the main gathering places for the monthly birthday dinners held for Karen's extended family over the years. Their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews enjoyed playing games throughout the house during the birthday and holiday gatherings, as well as playing on the swings and jungle gym Darrell had welded.
In 1998, Darrell and Karen made a trip to Sequim, Washington to visit their youngest daughter, Janell. After they returned home they announced, to the surprise of their family, that they had found the place they wanted to retire. They bought a piece of property down the road from Janell's family and built a shop, then moved into Janell and Jim's home in 2002 for two years as he built their home, and all the cabinets inside, with the help of a few grandchildren and a few contractors. His was the only home he designed and built from the ground up.
Retirement opened a new world for Darrell. He and Karen started going to garage sales soon after moving to Sequim. They would collect things to furnish and decorate their home, as well as tools for him and for others. (There were 35 handsaws in his shop when he moved. All were carefully checked for sharpness and sound, then purchased with the intention of giving one to each of his grandsons.)
Though he never had close friends in his life, he became good friends with Dennis Gardner soon after he moved to Sequim. The two would do projects for others, building handicap ramps for widows, replacing decks and doing a variety of small construction projects over several years, all without pay. Their wives would joke about Dennis "coming over to play." Their biggest project together was helping Darrell's daughter, Janell, remodel her home–a project that took well over the projected two years. They blessed many lives with their service.
Darrell stated how much he enjoyed being able to do projects the way he wanted to (rather than a paying customer's way) because he was doing them for free. He would never take money for the work but encouraged those who wanted to pay to donate to the Church Perpetual Education Fund or the Church Humanitarian Fund.
Darrell and Karen both served faithfully in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints their whole lives. Both came from pioneer stock and had a love for righteousness, service, hard work and obedience and taught their children to live by those principles. They studied the Gospel daily with their children and gathered them weekly for Family Home Evening, always attending their church meetings. Darrell found great satisfaction as he served as a Stake Seventy Missionary for 23 years. He also served in a variety of other capacities as teacher, clerk, Bishopric Counselor and Young Men's president. Darrell and Karen served together as ordinance workers in the Seattle Washington Temple for over 10 years, making the 2 ½ hour drive weekly. It was hard to give that up as the effects of age made it more difficult. They developed rich friendships with those with whom they served over the years and especially with Dick and Evelyn Shaw as they would drive together each week. (Neither Dick nor Darrell enjoyed being in the back seat while the other drove, but they shared the driving, nonetheless.)
Family was very important to Darrell. He would tell stories of his and Karen's ancestors to their children as they grew up and later wrote down and illustrated many of those stories, plus more, for his grandchildren, sending out a story a month for several years, along with a personal note to each.
Darrell also took up the hobby of creating dining tables and hope chests; by using wood in-lay techniques he had employed over the years. Many of his children and grandchildren have been the recipients of the tables and every granddaughter and granddaughter-in-law (almost), most of the great-granddaughters, as well as a few dozen young women in his church congregation, have been the recipients of the hope chests. They have all been cherished possessions.
After Karen's passing in December 2023, Darrell suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. It didn't end his life, as the doctors thought, but took away his ability to care for himself. He was lovingly cared for during his last year by his oldest daughter, Shauna, and her husband, Don, first in his home in Sequim and then in their home in Boise, Idaho. A few hired caregivers and his granddaughter, Elisa, also helped care for him and they were such a blessing.
Darrell is survived by all six of his children–Shauna Saunders (Don), Lamar Hawkins, Miriam Dobrolecki (Jeff), Kirk Hawkins (Eliza), Janell Heintz (Jim) and Jason Hawkins (Mandie); 32 grandchildren & 9 spouses; 34 great-grandchildren and 1 spouse; and 4 siblings–David Hawkins (Susan), Judy Jones (Steve), Suzanne Campbell and Tony Hawkins (Nina).
A memorial service will be held on May 31, 2025, at 11am at the Sequim Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 815 W. Washington, Sequim, Washington. We invite all who desire to join us in honoring Darrell. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Humanitarian Fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as Darrell preferred.