Joseph James Hawkins Sr.

Joseph James Hawkins Sr. was born in Enid, Oklahoma, October 28, 1954 to Darlene Carson. He was a member of the Pawnee Nation. He left us on his spiritual journey Monday, May 19, 2025. He met his first true love, Rebecca Littlesun his Senior year in Pawnee, Oklahoma. They married December 4, 1975 and began their journey in the month of June of 1975 as he joined the Army, for which he served as a Cavalry Scout and a Motor Transport OP.

After his military service he returned to Oklahoma with his family where he took on several jobs where he spent half of his career working for the Chickasaw National Recreation Area Park as a Park Ranger in Sulphur, Oklahoma and graduating college at East Central University with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Majoring in Business Administration.

His last journey was back to Pawnee, Oklahoma where he worked the rest of his career working for the Pawnee Tribe as the Director of Gaming Operations, Tribal Development Casino’s StoneWolf, Trading Post and Teepee. The year of 2016 took a tragic turn where he was diagnosed with cancer and tried battling it with chemotherapy and then radiation.

He was awarded by the Pawnee Tribal Corporation to thank him for his dedication and commitment for 15 years, December 1, 2024. He was very liked and loved by several co-workers stating he was stoic, scary if he wasn’t smiling, had a great sense of humor, amazing, full of wisdom, laughter, love, stories and mostly known for his jokes.

He enjoyed spending time with his family at home and every now and then taking trips to the aquarium and going out to restaurants to eat when he was able to. He also enjoyed celebrating holidays and birthdays especially when cheesecake and steaks were involved. When his health began to fail he still wanted to and did go back to work to support his family and even walk with his granddaughter her Senior Year for cheerleading although he could barely walk and stand but he did.

Joseph leaves behind his wife Rebecca Hawkins, three children, daughters Tamera Hawkins of Tulsa, Ruth Hawkins of Cushing, son’s Jonathan Hawkins, Joseph Hawkins III and Harrison Hawkins of Pawnee, Oklahoma, grandchildren, great grandson. He had three sister’s Patricia Hawkins of Ridley, Ok, Marie Hawkins of Arlington, TX and Charlotte Alexander of Irving, TX. He was preceded in death his mother Darlene Carson, sister Deborah Whiteshirt, son Joseph Hawkins Jr., daughters Rosalee Hawkins and Sarah Smile Hawkins.

Joe would want to end this with a joke so close your eyes and imagine him telling us..

The penguins gathered around a dead comrade where they rolled the deceased penguin across the frozen water to bury the body. They gathered around the hole and started to sing “freeze a jolly good fellow, freeze a jolly good fellow and then they kick him in the ice hole.” And that’s the reason why you never see a dead penguin.