Robert Hawkins

Robert Allen Hawkins, a long-time Missoula dentist and outdoor enthusiast, passed away on Saturday, July 13, 2024. He was 97. He died at home surrounded by his family.

 He was born on July 30, 1926 in Helena, to Thomas Lee Hawkins, a Helena physician, and Harriet Laughlin Hawkins. Two other children included Janet, and Thomas. Bob grew up spending lots of time outdoors, skiing, hiking and water skiing around the Helena area and at the family cabin on Lindbergh Lake. He played football in high school. Bob graduated from the University of Montana and then dental school at the University of Washington.

 On Aug 26, 1950, he married Millicent (Mickey) Clark from Oklahoma. They lived together on a houseboat in Lake Union in Seattle while Bob finished dental school at the University of Washington, then in 1955 they moved to Missoula, where Bob set up a dental practice and they raised four children.

 Bob was involved in numerous local organizations, actively supported the building of the Community Hospital and was a Member of the State Board of Dental Examiners from 1965-70. Bob was elected to the Missoula County High School Board of Trustees in 1970 and became its Chairman at the time when the critical decision was made to build the Seeley Swan High School.

 He was a passionate photographer, loved to sail and enjoyed traveling. Bob loved to ski and stayed skiing into his 90s. He hiked in virtually every Montana mountain range, wilderness area, and national park; floated every major river, skied at every ski area large and small, sailed Flathead in their sloop, enjoyed outdoor outings and Christmas caroling with friends too numerous to list. Bob climbed most of Montana’s highest peaks. They traveled back to Seattle to visit friends, to Europe with friends where they chartered sailboats and skied. Bob kept himself in shape through running with the Run For Lunch Bunch at the UM.

 Survivors include his wife, Mickey Hawkins, Missoula; 4 children and their families, Thomas (Teresa) Hawkins (Marblehead, MA), Marianne (Phil) Prodehl (Bend, OR), Martha (Wink) Cleary (Missoula) and Jane (Marc) Katz (Missoula) along with eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren. In addition, his sister, Janet Downey (Kalispell) and family, and extended family from his brother Thomas (d. 1978) in Idaho. His sister Betty (d. 2023) was from Denver.

 Bob will be buried in Pony, MT, and a Celebration of Life gathering is planned in Missoula in early August.