Thomas Eugene Hawkins

Obituary Tom E. Hawkins, Sr. passed away quietly surrounded by family on July 21st. He was born July 28, 1924 to Leo and Bessie May (Whitney) Hawkins in McCleary, WA. His parents preceded him in death. Tom grew up in Tacoma and attended Sacred Heart, Mary Lyon, Grey Jr. High, and Lincoln High Schools. Following a family relocation he graduated from Olympia High School. After high school graduation Tom was accepted into the U.S. Navy's flight school at the height of WW II. He was proud to have served as a member of the first flight crew aboard the Midway the Navy's first battleship carrier. Tom's flight training left him with a life long love of flying and for many years he owned and flew his own planes. Tom spent the majority of his working life in auto sales, the perfect profession for someone who professed to being born with gasoline in his blood. In 1960 Tom opened his first car dealership, ABC Motors, on South Tacoma Way and in 1971 opened Hawkins Pontiac, Inc at 8200 South Sprague. He sold Pontiacs and exotic sports cars from this location until his retirement eleven years later. Tom relocated to Southern California where he turned his avocation for thoroughbred horses into a new vocation. He bred and raced his horses at the major California race tracks until he suffered a massive stroke in 1995. Tom's remaining years were quieter but enjoyable. He happily returned to Tacoma in 2000. In 2001 his declining health made it necessary for him to move to Tacoma Lutheran Home where he passed away.