Wiley Hawkins Obituary

Wiley Thomas "W.T." Hawkins, 93, of Pocahontas passed away Saturday, June 14, 2025 at StoneBridge of Pocahontas. W.T. was born February 4, 1932 in Corning to the late Edd and Mazie (Hulvey) Hawkins. He was also welcomed by an older brother, J.D. Hawkins. At the age of 8, he and his family moved back to the Water Valley and Stony Point communities in Randolph County. He spent a happy childhood roaming the hills settled by his grandparents in the 1840s of earlier. He became a wealth of information about the families in those communities and was often enlisted to find cemeteries and gravesites of loved ones. In 1949 W.T. moved to Pocahontas to attend Pocahontas High School where he played football and went to the state playoffs. He was the first of three generations to play for the Redskins. After high school, he began working at Brown Shoe Company where he made lifelong friendships and met Inez Toye. W.T. and Inez were happily married for over 55 years and raised four children: Diane, Joe, Steve, and Devonna. After Inez' death in 2008, W.T. married Reba Davis Elkins and they enjoyed 10 years together before her passing in 2019. Mr. Hawkins was a proud veteran of the US Army where he was selected for the Military Police. He was stationed at Fort Hood in Texas during the Korean War era. W.T. was a longtime member of the WestRidge (formerly Eastside) Church of Christ where he served as a deacon and elder. Much like his paternal grandfather who sent his "prayers in a wagon," loaded with firewood and foodstuffs, to a prayer meeting for a suffering family, W.T. was a pragmatic man who looked for resources to meet the basic needs of individuals whether by helping with applying for public assistance, transporting to food pantries, or scavenging for furnishings at yard sales or roadsides. He loved the outdoors and livestock. He always had a horse, some cows, and chickens. His favorite pastime in his retirement years was driving the backroads of Randolph County. W.T. was preceded in death by his parents, Edd and Mazie Hawkins; wives, Inez Toye Hawkins and Reba Elkins Hawkins; and brother, J.D. Hawkins. He is survived by his children, Diane (Richard) McCright of North Little Rock, Joe (Suzanne) Hawkins of Pocahontas, Steve (Lisa) Hawkins of Mountain View, and Devonna (Scott) Whited of North Little Rock; six grandchildren, Moye (Crystal) Hawkins of Ravenden, Brittney Johnston of Fayetteville, Jody Hawkins of Benton, Hailey (Bronson) Jacoby of Ethridge, TN, Sasha Smith Kirk of Longmont, CO, and Lauren Smith Woodard of Mountain View; six great grandchildren, Miya Hawkins, Emma Hawkins, Rowen Kirk, Cadence Kirk, Nico Woodard, and Stone Woodard; and many other relatives and friends. Visitation will be Tuesday, June 17, 2025 from 10-11 AM in the chapel of McNabb Funeral Home with a funeral service beginning at 11 AM with Moye Hawkins officiating. Burial with military honors will follow in Maynard Cemetery. Honored to serve as Pallbearers are Jody Hawkins, Rick McCright, Scott Whited, Bronson Jacoby, Jeff Combs, and Stan Rogers. Honorary Pallbearers will be Brittney Johnston, Hailey Jacoby, Miya Hawkins, and Emma Hawkins. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Maynard Cemetery, PO Box 354, Maynard, AR, 72444. To send a flower arrangement in memory of Wiley Thomas "W.T." Hawkins, please click here to visit our sympathy store.