Mrs. Clara Mahaffey Hawk, a retired Lauderdale County educator, died peacefully at ECM Hospital on December 27, 2010 with her sons at her side. She was 95 years old.
Born in Paint Rock, Alabama and raised in Decatur, one of her earliest memories was riding in a wagon pulled by mules from Paint Rock to Decatur, an all day adventure. She moved to Greenhill in the early 1950''s when her husband was hired as principal at T.M. Rogers , then the largest school in Lauderdale County. She taught business at Rogers and Allen Thornton.
Mrs. Hawk was a member of the First Baptist Church of Killen and a former member of Greenhill Baptist. She taught Sunday school for over 35 years. The visitation will begin Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at Elkins East Chapel Funeral Home followed by the funeral service at 2:00 p.m. in the Chapel. The Rev. David McKelvey will officiate. Burial will follow in Tri-Cities Memorial Gardens.
Mrs. Hawk is survived by her sons, James Davis Hawk, Jr. and wife Val of Warrior, Alabama and John Thomas Hawk and wife Liz of Killen. She has five grandchildren, Julie Harris of Russellville, Heather O''Kelley and husband Josh of Lexington, Jessica White and husband Blake of Michigan, Emily Hawk of Killen and John Davis Hawk, USN of Oklahoma. She has six great-grandchildren Ariana and Terin Harris, Owen White, Savannah and Andrew Smith, and Joshua O''Kelley. She also leaves nieces and nephews.
She was the last of the Mahaffey/Hawk siblings. She was preceded in death by her husband James Davis Hawk; sisters and brothers Helen Deems, Jimmie Woodward, Charles and Dick Mahaffey, Milton Mahaffey, Sr. and her parents Annis and John Mahaffey of Decatur.
The pallbearers will be Mike Herston, Ronnie Thrower, James Hall, Jerry Segler, Josh O''Kelley, and John D. Hawk. Honorary bearers will be Billy Ray Pierce, Charles Hawk, Milton Mahaffey, Dixon Hubbard, Bob McKenzie, Rhea Grantham, Ralph Jackson and Blake White.
Please consider memorials to the First Baptist Church, Killen. A special thanks to granddaughter Heather O''Kelley and Rose Jones for their taking care of Mrs. Hawk. The family is grateful for her care at the Summit, Mitchell-Hollingsworth, Mid-South Home Health and Dr. Lyman Mitchell.