Deceased March 28, 2021
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In Memory
James Alexander Hawkins died peacefully on March 28, 2021, after a brave battle with Parkinson’s and more than nine decades of a rich life, well lived.
Jim was warm, affable, interested but never overpowering. He connected easily with folks from all walks of life. He was a man of quiet passions—his family, his religion, his extensive volunteer efforts to alleviate suffering, and photography, which for Jim was both a professional focus and his means of artistic expression.
Much of Jim’s 40-year marketing career with Eastman Kodak was spent in Washington, D.C. There he was often seen at diplomatic receptions and events at the White House and on Capitol Hill, sporting a classy, colorful bow tie, a smile and a camera, and snapping photos later sent to delighted attendees. Kodak could not have had a more appealing presence in our nation’s capitol.
After retirement, Jim devoted much of the rest of his life to voluntary charitable work. He joined the boards of Children’s Hospice International and the National American Mental Health Association. He traveled the world—including Vietnam, Belarus, Capetown, Ukraine—to propose and promote hospice care for children. Jim continued to put his passion for photography to good use in this realm as well. Favorite fundraising events he chronicled with his camera included fishing tournaments in Key West in support of mental health and “Fantasy Flights to the North Pole” for sick children.
Religion was central to Jim’s life as well. He served numerous terms on the vestry and as senior warden at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. He thought deeply about religion and was always eager to discuss, explain, test, and refine his own beliefs about the human spirit, God and the “after life.”
Jim’s greatest passion was his family. He and his beloved wife of 63 years, Marian Stoudemire Hawkins (who predeceased him in 2018), raised and adored Anne, Betty, and Alec, and later delighted in their five grandchildren.
During the course of his life, Jim experienced bouts of dark and painful depression and observed similar suffering in those close to him. To the great joy of those who knew and loved him, he was able to overcome the periods of darkness and use the memory of it to fuel his empathy, love, and efforts on behalf of those in need.
Jim was the fourth of 10 Hawkinses to attend Amherst in the 20th century. His abiding affection for the Fairest College made him a faithful attendee at reunions, a perennial fundraiser, and a warm, loyal friend to classmates.
Dave Hawkins ’69, Rob Hawkins ’71, and John Hawkins ’75
Jim Hawkins died peacefully on March 28, 2021, at the age of 91 in Bethesda, Maryland, after a long struggle with Parkinson’s. He grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Amherst College in 1950. At Amherst he belonged to Delta Upsilon, lettered in soccer, served on the House Management Committee and was elected to Scarab in his senior year. After Amherst, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and retired after two years as a first lieutenant. He then began a 40-year career with Eastman Kodak Co. with his last assignment being their representative in Washington, D.C. He was married in 1955 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to Marian Stoudemire, and I always enjoyed visiting with them either at our Amherst reunions or at their home near Washington. They had three children, Anne Ramsey (Robert) of Arlington, Virginia, Betty Ende (Neil) of McLean, Virginia and James A. Hawkins Jr. of Rockville, Maryland, and five grandchildren, Cailin, Hailey and Iain Ramsey and Jessica and Jennifer Ende. Marian died in 2018.
After his retirement from Eastman Kodak, Jim devoted much of his time to charities, including Children’s Hospice International, National American Mental Health and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Bethesda, where he served four terms on the vestry, twice as senior warden.
Jim was a passionate photographer, and during his trips in this country and around the world on behalf of these charities, he documented many special events. One of the special DVDs he produced was a detailed study of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. He was kind enough to send me a copy. A quote from his obituary covers him very well—“he was an artist, a poet, a raconteur and an adventurer who loved classical music and New Orleans Jazz, popsicles, bow ties and his extended family.”
Jim will be missed by many.
Dave Sinclair ’50