R.L. (Hawk) Hawkins, 81, of Mexia, passed away in his home on Friday, March 13, 2015. Funeral services will be 3:30 p.m., Sunday, March 15, 2015 at Blair-Stubbs Chapel with Mr. Neil Bond officiating. Interment will follow in the Mexia Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be 6-8 p.m., Saturday, at Blair-Stubbs Funeral Home. R.L. was born in Ben Hur, Texas on December 5, 1933. He married the love of his life, Arlene, on November 30, 1955. He served his country in the United States Navy from 1955-1957, where he spent 18 months aboard the destroyer USS Mullany. After discharge, R.L. and Arlene made their home in Mexia, where they raised three sons, two daughters, and a small collection of neighborhood children. After 33 years of service, he retired from Southwestern Electric Service Company (SESCO) in 1997. To capture R.L.’s life in words is impossible. He was a strong, vivacious and generous man with a perchance for catfish, all things related to John Wayne, The Three Stooges, and his favorite easy chair. He loved his wife, his family, his home, and his westerns. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clyde and Edith Hawkins; his daughter Janet, and his great-granddaughter Annabel. R.L. is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Arlene; his son and daughter-in-law, James and Robin Hawkins (Coolidge, TX), daughter and son-in-law, Nancy and John Henry Kindon (Fairfield, TX), son and daughter-in-law, Clay and Kristi Hawkins (Beavercreek, OH), and son and daughter-in-law, Shane and Angela Hawkins (Missouri City, TX); eleven grandchildren: Heath, Wendy, Tiffany, Amy, Chase, Devin, Cade, Paige, Arabella, Amaya, and Deacon; seven great-grandchildren: Hope, Kaitlyn, Kole, Alyssa, Landon, Benjamin, and Maddox. He is also survived by two sisters, Mildred Hendrick and Marie Lide; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbors, and friends. Also surviving him are his army of “other” children, including Dana Taylor (Kosse, TX), Shad and Lindsay Stanford (Thornton, TX), Lisa and William Lane (Groesbeck, TX), and RaeLynne and Josh Bell (Groesbeck, TX); eight grandchildren: Tobie, Ashley, Zachary, Blayke, Gracie, Shelby, Lucy, and Hadley; two great-grandchildren: Charlee and Rylee. Pallbearers will be Shane Hawkins, Clay Hawkins, Cade Hawkins, Chase Hawkins, Shad Stanford, Devin Kindon, John Henry Kindon and Josh Bell. Honorary pallbearers will be James Hawkins, Heath Hawkins, William Lane, Brian Bell and Deacon Hawkins.