COMMANDER JOHN F. HAWKINS, SUGARLAND, TEXAS, FORMERLY OF PORT JERVIS, NEW YORK

Commander John F. Hawkins of Port Jervis, NY, passed at Sugarland, Texas from complications of Alzheimer's. He was born July, 1917 at New Haven, CT, the son of the late John F. and Mabel Hawkins.John attended New Haven Schools through 9th grade and moved to Port Jervis in 1930. He graduated from Port Jervis High School in 1933, and enlisted with the U.S. Navy in 1935, training at Newport, RI. He joined U.S.S. Minneapolis CA36 in 1936, and served on and served on her until 1943 and saw seven major engagements in the Pacific. The Minneapolis had been stationed at Pearl Harbor since 1938 and was on patrol 7 miles outside the harbor on December 7, 1941, she was not attacked on that day. John was detached in 1943 to commission the U.S.S. Alaska and appointed Naval Officer Corps as Ensign. He saw four major engagements in the pacific on the Alaska. The U.S.S. Alaska was in the Yellow Sea at Tsengtao, China in an effort to ensure that the Nationalist Chinese under Chang Kai Chek would not be defeated by the Communist Chinese under Mao Tse Tung, when the peace treaty with Japan was signed.Following the war, John was trained in Mine Warfare and commanded a fleet of five sea going mine sweepers, and served as a Mine Warfare advisor to the Turkish Navy. He retired from the U.S. Navy in 1963, moved to Port Jervis and taught Mathematics at the Port Jervis High School. He also served as Urban Renewal Director for the City of Port Jervis.John was a faithful member of the Grace Episcopal Church and served on the vestry. He enjoyed fly fishing and was a longtime member of the Fontenalis Fly Fishing Club, in Port Jervis.He was married first to the late Rachel L. Ray Hawkins and second to the late Sally Gillinder Cuddeback Hawkins. He is survived by his son, Richard Hawkins and his wife, Carol of Texas; two grandsons, Joshua and Daniel Hawkins; stepson, Samuel Mills Cuddeback and his wife, Meg of California; stepdaughter, Sarah Osmond Cuddeback Eagan and husband, Edward of California; step grandchildren: Elizabeth Mills Egan, Samuel Cuddeback Egan, Sara Storey Cuddeback, and Talia Storey Cuddeback; his sister, Jean Crine and her husband, Leslie of Port Jervis, and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son, Harold "Kip" Hawkins.Funeral Services will be held Saturday, January 26, at 12 noon at the Grace Episcopal Church, Port Jervis, NY, with the Rev. David Lee Carlson officiating. Private interment will take place at Laurel Grove Cemetery, Port Jervis, NY.Arrangements are by the Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home, 154 E. Main St., Port Jervis, NY. For directions, information or to send a condolence note to the family, please visit Knight-Auchmoody.com.