Submitted by: Dan Rich

Waymon B. Hawkins

Jan. 10, 1922 - Sept. 25, 2002

South Bend Tribune 9/27/2002

W.B. "Ben" Hawkins, 80, of Granger, Ind., passed away at 6:20 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, in Memorial Hospital, South Bend, Ind. He was born Jan. 10, 1922, in Decatur, Ill., to the late William Richard and Verna "Downey" Hawkins. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Raymalee Hawkins; and by brothers, William Richard Hawkins Sr. and James Edward Hawkins.

On Aug. 20, 1944, in Seattle, Wash., he married the former Jeanne Clarie Graham, who also preceded him in 1986. On June 28, 1987, he married Dolores Crynes, who survives. He is also survived by his children: daughters, Kathleen Francour-Mitchell (Jim) of Carefree, Ariz., Mary Hawkins Rogers (Don) of Eagle, Calif.; stepdaughters, Cyndi Lang (Brad) of South Bend; sons, Mel Hawkins (Christine Ferris) of Fort Wayne, Ind., Mark Hawkins (Dawn Seybold) of Riverside, Calif.; 11 grandchildren, Eve Francour Baldwin, Jeanne Marie Hawkins, Eric Graham Hawkins, Aaron Benjamin Hawkins, Laura Kathleen Hawkins, Joseph Benjamin Mundo, Sarah Elizabeth Hawkins, Christopher Joseph Lang, Benjamin Thomas Rogers, Alex Michael Lang and Rachel Claire Rogers; two great-grandchildren, Annabelle Claire Baldwin and Mickayla Nancee Hawkins-Klein; and by a sister, Lorraine Frances Manes (Vernon) of Zellwood, Fla.

Mr. Hawkins was the former president and CEO of Teachers Credit Union in South Bend from 1962 until retirement in 1987. He served on the board of directors until his death. He also served as past chairman of the Indiana Credit Union League. He also served as CUNA director for 10 years. He was a member of the Credit Union Executives Society and of the South Bend, Mishawaka Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Hawkins was a charter member of the first board of directors of the Education Credit Union Council and past director of the Cooperative Education Association of South Bend, as well as past president of the Knute Rockne Babe Ruth League. He also was an instructor for the Peace Corps at the University of Notre Dame. Mr. Hawkins served in the United States Army in World War II as a medical technician and an athletic instructor in baseball, serving in the Aleutian Islands. He was awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash by then-Governor Orr, and was an active lobbyist for the Indiana Credit Unions. He loved baseball very much, and was a professional player for the St. Louis Cardinals minor league before and after World War II.

Mr. Hawkins was a member of Clay United Methodist Church where memorial services will be held at 7 p.m. today, with Rev. Herb Buwalda officiating on Saturday, Sept. 28. A Celebration of Life will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Teachers Credit Union, corner of Washington and Main streets. In lieu of flowers, family request that donations in Mr. Hawkins' memory be made to the Salvation Army, to the Hope Rescue Mission, or to a charity of the donor's choice. The Welsheimer Funeral Home assisted family with arrangements.