Sterling Hawkins
Sterling W. Hawkins, 87, passed away on Monday, April 15, 2019, in a local hospital.
He was born in Long Beach, California and was an excellent long distance swimmer in the Pacific Ocean. He frequently swam several miles.
In 1956 at 24 years old, he and his mother moved to Las Vegas seeking good employment. He quickly became one the most professional roulette dealers in the state of Nevada. He worked his way to an executive position at the Golden Nugget Casino, a Steve Wynn property, where he retired after 39 years.
Sterling enjoyed reading and could answer most any question on Jeopardy. His favorite pastime was his sailboat on Lake Mead as well as researching his family tree. He would take trips to Salt Lake City Mormon Genealogy Library and even found and visited the last known family address in Birmingham, England. His travels also took him to Mexico, France, and Italy and in 1997 to Monte Carlo, a retirement gift from Mr. Wynn.
He enjoyed camping and four-wheeling the deserts of the Southwest and attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to learn all about the history of the area he loved. Sterling and JoAnn returned her new home town, Cleveland in 2000. They were a couple who did everything together. Whatever JoAnn ordered at a restaurant, Sterling would tell the waiter, “Just put a number 2 beside that, I will have the exact same thing.” He was a good and thoughtful husband and stepfather who provided all along the way throughout the decades.
He was preceded in death by his father William Hawkins, who owned an insurance business and was a movie publicity agent, and his mother, Anna Groth Hawkins
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, JoAnn Harding Hawkins; two stepchildren, John Haun of Cleveland and Cherie Haun Siegmund of Oregon and two step grandchildren, Jacob and Curtis Siegmund of Oregon.
The funeral will be at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 19, in the chapel of Fike-Randolph and Son Funeral Home with John Haun officiating. Interment will follow in New Friendship Cemetery with Jeremy Cartwright, Gregg Epperson, John Haun, Lewis Kearney and Phil Wooten serving as pallbearers.
The family will receive friends from 1–3 p.m. on Friday at the funeral home prior to the service.
We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Hawkins family guestbook at www.fikefh.com.