Obituary of Albert Lee Hawkins

Albert Lee Hawkins was born on February 13, 1942, in Washington, DC.  He was raised by his loving parents, Bishop Robert Lee Hawkins and Mrs. Josephine Hawkins (née Marshall) in Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia.  He was the second eldest of eleven children.

Albert attended Luther Jackson High School and was known throughout the area for being an outstanding baseball player.  After high school, he enlisted into the United States Air Force.  He developed his affinity for driving trucks by volunteering to drive the unit’s deuce and half on laundry and supply runs to and from Fort Jackson while stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina.  Deployed to both Laos and Thailand, he served two tours in support of the Vietnam War.  After returning from Southeast Asia, his final assignment was with the United States Air Force Honor Guard at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, DC.

After an Honorable Discharge from the US Air Force, Albert drove buses for Greyhound, trucks and buses for MA White, and was a crew leader for the Washington Gas Company in Springfield, VA.  After retirement from the Washington Gas Company, he started his own trucking company, Hawk’s Express.  After 20 years of running Hawk’s Express with the assistance of his wife, Paula, he retired a second time.  However, he kept himself occupied working as a supervisor at his son Shawn’s Company Hamma Down Enterprises, driving trucks for Payne Trucking and LL Carter and Son Inc, and finally as a refuse manager for Caroline County.

An avid motorcyclist and daringly skilled rider, Albert thoroughly enjoyed racing his Triumph Bonneville at the dirt tracks in Sumerduck, Vista, Oak Grove and down on the farm (oftentimes with his son Shawn riding on the tank!).  Riding and fixing motorcycles were his favorite pastimes.    He always looked forward to riding with the motorcycle club and family to York, PA, Syracuse, NY, Budd’s Creek, MD, and Harrington, DE to watch an AMA dirt track series race or simply cruise through Skyline Drive.  He and his Harley-Davidson Sportster didn’t win every race, but he indeed held his own and could be counted on to make it to the finish line.  He shared this passion with his kids. He bought more than a few second-hand motorcycles (some were just parts in a box) and would refurbish or rebuild them before passing them on to his sons.

Albert loved and was loved by his family.  There was nothing he wouldn’t do for them. Whether it was a Marshall Family Reunion ‘Up on the Hill’, a White’s Block Party in the backyard or down on the farm, or a Hawkins’ Gathering at one of the siblings' home, Albert was there to man the grill, roast a hog, or just pitch some horseshoes.  Further, he was a skilled carpenter who could sketch his own plans by hand to scale or translate blueprints. Testaments to his craftsmanship are the house he refurbished for his sister, the deck he added to his home, and the standalone 2-car garage he built single-handedly.  All remain standing in Bailey’s Crossroads to this day.

Albert was a confessed Christian.  He was a lifelong member of Redeemed Church of Christ in Alexandria, Va started by his father, Bishop Robert L. Hawkins and currently led by Pastor Joshua Bullock.  More recently, he joined the congregation of Greater Apostolic Temple of God’s Living Word Churches of Christ in Dumfries, Va.  He could often be found reading his Bible at the dining table, in the truck while waiting for loads, during rest periods while working around the house, and at night before going to bed.

Albert is preceded in death by his wife, Paula Yvonne; parents: Bishop Robert L. and Mrs. Josephine Hawkins; three brothers: Carl Leroy, Walter Jerome, and Steven Gary Hawkins, and a granddaughter, Jordan.

He leaves to cherish his memory four children: Sherri Akaeze (Peter), Shawn Hawkins (Lyletha), Angela Best (Bernard) and Derrick Johnson (Karen);  8 grandchildren, Nicholas, Ashley, Briana, Jaylen, Timmy Jr (TJ), Dennis, Marcus, and Heather; eight great-grandchildren, Remielle, Layla, Z’Nyah, Jonathon, Jah’nessa, Ja’Bree, Jaysie, and Ty’Jhawn; and two great great-grandchildren, Tyler, and Sebastian; three brothers: James Lee, Michael, and Conrad Claude Hawkins (Anesia); four sisters: E. Celeste Morton (James) , Constance Hawkins-Moore, Alice B Hawkins, and M. Jacqueline Hawkins-White (Neal), and a host of nieces and nephews.