80 Years

We celebrated my Grandpa Hawkins’ 80th birthday this past Sunday and it was fun to see him surrounded by most of his posterity.  Aunt Nancy and her family came up from Nevada and we had a big birthday dinner at Aunt Lisa’s.  It was fun being with all of the cousins, even though we really missed Seth & Debra.  Oh and Heather, since she decided California would be more interesting than family this weekend :). 

A few fun facts about my Grandfather.

Grandpa was born on Black Friday (what a way to start your life) and raised in Provo, graduating Valedictorian from Provo High.  He received his undergraduate at BYU in organic chemistry, graduating as the Valedictorian of his class, and attended University of Illinois for his doctorate in the same field.  A surprise for most people is that he did a doctorate minor in music and still tries to work his clarinet from time to time. 

He was a professor at BYU for his entire career, except for his sabbaticals when he worked for Phillips 66 and Du Pont.  In his younger days he worked with developing jet fuel, and worked with chemical weapons in the army during the Korean War.

Grandpa met  Grandma while working for Phillips in Oklahoma and in 1955, when he was drafted and sent to Fort Ord, in Denver, they were married in the Salt Lake Temple.  He is the father of 3 children, Vance, Alice, & Nancy, the Grandfather of 13 and the Great-Grandfather of 4.

His passions are airplanes, music, BYU Football – Go Cougs!- and maintaining his family journal.  There are so many fun stories that I could share of Grandpa’s early days, that would surprise people that know him, but there isn’t the time.  I guess I should make sure that they are written somewhere.

The Hawkins Family.  Grandpa is the youngest of the 3 boys.  Left to right:  Carl, Richard, Barbara, & Keith.

Anyway, the more I learn about him the more I am amazed.  What a life to live!  Here’s to 80 years!