George Emmett Hawkins

George Emmett Hawkins

Age 97 of St. Paul

Passed away peacefully at home in the care of his children on Sunday, January 16, 2022. George will be remembered as a humble, loyal, faith-filled gentleman who cared deeply for his family and stayed true to his strong moral code.

George was born on May 20, 1924, in Baldwin, Wisconsin, to George T. and Mary Cosgrove Hawkins. As the oldest of four children, “Emmett” was a hard-working son and a caring role model for his siblings. His family endured the Great Depression on farms in St Croix County, Wisconsin, and southern Minnesota before returning to Wisconsin to manage the Hammond Hardware store. He contributed any way he could, often in service to neighbors or the church.

Following his graduation from Hammond High School in 1942, George proudly trained as a navigator in the Army Air Corps until his post-VJ Day discharge in 1945. A chance meeting with an ailing Benedictine priest led him to Saint John’s University. There George studied economics and philosophy, completing his degree in three years with the class of 1949. 

After graduating from college, George first worked in sales for the Golden Rule Department Store in St. Paul, followed by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and Bankers Systems in St. Cloud. Ultimately George found a lasting fit selling municipal bonds with Juran & Moody, Inc. in 1952. He enjoyed the work’s challenge and the many enduring relationships he built as he aimed to “always take care of the customer first.” For more than 30 years George focused on earning the respect of colleagues and customers alike, becoming chairman and CEO before retiring in 1984.

George married Jeanine Hobbins in 1955 after a successful blind date. They raised their six children in White Bear Lake before relocating to St. Paul in 1981. George and Jeanine were long-time members of White Bear’s St. Mary of Lake Church and St. Paul’s Lumen Christi Catholic Community. Their 62-year marriage was a testament to their love, family focus, and Catholic faith.

An avid outdoorsman, George shared his love of nature with his family. The experiences evolved as the family grew: first tent camping at state parks, later touring national parks in a trailer, and eventually enjoying a cabin together on Wisconsin’s Lake Wapogasset. He enjoyed fishing with his sons and friends in Canada and at his “log cabin in the woods” in Emily, Minnesota. George also golfed hundreds of rounds as a 65-year member of the Stillwater Country Club. Into his final summer, George strolled his Highland Park neighborhood streets. 

George modeled service throughout his 97 years, mentoring colleagues, connecting with alumni, and volunteering his time to the church. In 1987 he was awarded the Fr. Walter Reger Distinguished Alumnus Award for his contributions as a Saint John’s alumni chapter member, career network volunteer and mentor, and major gift committee member. He attended or coordinated retreats for nearly 60 years at the Demontreville Jesuit Retreat House and supported vocations to the priesthood and religious life through the Serra Club. 

In retirement George made the most of his new-found time as an inquisitive, life-long learner. He filled his days with hobbies and connection: building Adirondack chairs and birdhouses, baking bread, reading, listening to classical music, golfing, attending daily Mass, visiting the sick and bedridden, cheering at Johnnies games, spending time with family, and connecting with old and new friends of all ages. After Jeanine’s death in 2018 George learned new domestic skills and kept pace with technology to maintain his independence at The Waters of Highland Park. To the amazement of his grandchildren, he regularly took an Uber or city bus to his engagements before the pandemic; since COVID he enjoyed attending virtual Mass at churches around the world. 

A proud Irishman and devoted Catholic, George modeled honesty, respect and generosity each day. His care and prayers supported the entire Hawkins clan. This patriarch will be missed tremendously. In addition to his parents, George is preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Jeanine, youngest son Barry, brother Gene, and sisters Kathleen (Kay) Stuckmeyer and Delores (Dorie) Scamfer. He is survived by children Betsy (Dennis) Evans, Jane (John) Scherer, Sally Hawkins, Brian (Linda) Hawkins and Mark Hawkins. He was a beloved grandfather to Troy (Jenny), Ben (Erin), Megan (Rob), Liz (Nels), Kathryn (Kevin), Shannon (Andy), Spencer, Patrick, Brie and Matthew. George delighted in the next generation, too, as “grandpa great” and “great grandpa airplanes” to Greta, Owen, Matilda, Amelia, Finn, Maura, Ingrid, Edison, June, Maggie -- and one on the way. He’ll also be missed by cherished brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. 

George’s family takes comfort in his return to Jeanine and Barry. Mass of Christian Burial Monday, January 24, 11 AM, with visitation one hour prior, at Lumen Christi Catholic Community, 2055 Bohland Avenue, St. Paul. (Note: the service will be streamed live at lumenchristicc.org. The 1200-person sanctuary will allow for social distancing. Masks strongly encouraged.) Interment at Resurrection Cemetery, Mendota Heights. Suggested memorials: Our Lady of Peace hospice, St. John’s Abbey, or Lumen Christi Catholic Community.

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