Katherine Ann Hawkins

Katherine Hawkins, 49, of Fayetteville, passed away on Saturday, May 7^th at her home surrounded by her loving family.  Kate is survived by her four sons; Brandon Rodgers (Sofia de la Guardia) of Durham, Cameron Rodgers, Truett Hawkins, and Caden Hawkins, all of Fayetteville; her father Thomas Keever of Fayetteville; her mother Carol Keever of Columbus, OH; sister Heather Keever Vye (James) of El Segundo, CA; nieces Lily and Ella Vye, sister-in-law Susan Fletcher (Keith) of Savannah, GA.

She is predeceased by her husband, Thomas Hawkins. Together once again, they are looking down watching over us all.

Kate graduated from Dublin Highschool in Dublin, OH in 1990 and earned a B.A. of Anthropology from The Ohio State University in 2000.

Although her dream after college was to travel to Central Africa to study gorillas, she had to settle for working alongside the gorillas at the Columbus Zoo (you can blame her oldest son for that). She later transitioned into Human Resources, working for Mount Carmel Hospital in Columbus, OH.  After relocating to Fayetteville, she found her calling as a preschool teacher at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church; she loved her kids and her kids loved her. Their artwork and loving letters are hung proudly around her home.

She enjoyed nothing more than porchin’ with her friends and family whether it was a cup of coffee in the morning or a glass of wine (or three) in the evening. If the weather was right and there was music playing, you better believe she was out there rocking away in her favorite chair waving to her neighbors strolling by. I know a lot of people love music, but Kate LOVED music. She could name just about any song, along with the band and year it was released. She was basically an archive for classic rock and roll. Her favorite movie quote was “NO THE NOW” from Braveheart (which she passed on to all her sons). A single mention of the movie would start a chain reaction of quotes being yelled around the house all day. It was the little things like that that she loved. And if she wasn’t jamming out to music on the porch or reciting funny quotes with her boys, there was a good chance she was reading a book in bed or another quiet place around the house.

“Kate was sweet, kind and sassy with a huge heart” (quoted by her father), but most of all she was loved. She was loved by her friends, family, neighbors and community. And she loved them all right back. She will be missed more than words can describe but the love she left in this world will live on forever.

Kate's family will host a time of celebration from 2-5pm, on Saturday, July 23, 2022, at Kate's house (204 Oakridge Ave, Fayetteville).  Anyone is welcome to stop by and share their favorite Kate experiences with her family.