MR. RICHARD LEE ANDREW HAWKES II's Obituary
Richard Lee Andrew Hawkes II was born on December 15, 1961 in Detroit, Michigan to Chandois Francis N. Hawkes and Mildred (Bell) Hawkes.
Richard, affectionately called Ricky or Rick by his close friends and family, attended Catholic elementary school, Carrie Law Middle School, and graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1980. He was baptized in the Methodist church. Rick always had a warm and outgoing spirit and could strike up a conversation with anyone. Rick loved making connections with people and was heavily involved in social groups and multiple activities in school. During his time at Cass, he was a Chemistry/Biology major, served as president of “The Spirits” school spirit club, and made many lifelong friends. It was at Cass where he met his former wife, Tracy (nee Montgomery). They married shortly after graduating and had two children, Stephanie Alisha Hawkes and Andrew James Hawkes. Rick accompanied Tracy to Europe during her military service before they returned home to Detroit to raise their family. Rick and Tracy were married for more than 25 years before divorcing. Despite their marriage ending, they remained lifelong friends and shared many warm and loving memories of their life together.
An avid driver since his youth, Richard took on various long-distance truck driving jobs early on in life before beginning a decades-long career with ExxonMobil as a truck driver. He relocated multiple times during his tenure at the oil giant, from Detroit, Michigan to Baltimore, Maryland, to Boston, Massachusetts, and Nashville, Tennessee.
Never one to be idle, Rick engaged in a number of hobbies throughout his life, some of which included boating, scuba diving, Bonsai, woodworking, watercolor, music, and photography. One hobby that remained consistent throughout his life was his love of cooking. He was known for his delicious steak and mushrooms and was always down to throw something on the grill.
Rick passed his creativity and hard-work ethic to his two children, Stephanie and Andrew, whom he loved fiercely and dearly. He always made a point to carve out time for annual family vacations and road trips, family traditions and gatherings, and ensuring his children had what they needed to be successful in life. He took great pride in his children and their accomplishments.
Helping others was something that came naturally to Rick. He was always willing to take time to come to the aid of family as well as friends or even a stranger in need whenever he was able. For this reason, despite being divorced, he remained an adored son-in-law to Helen Montgomery and a beloved brother-in-law to Broderick Montgomery and Angela Mahones (nee Montgomery).
Richard leaves to cherish his memories: Dr. Stephanie Alisha Hawkes (William T. Zurenko) and Andrew James Hawkes (Lie Ma); brother, Chandois F. Hawkes; ex-wife, Tracy Hawkes; and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. He is predeceased by his mother, Mildred (Bell) Hawkes, and father, Chandois Francis N. Hawkes.
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