Remembering Bob

Bob Hawk was a true original, a 96 year old renaissance man with a generous heart and an expansive, inventive, sharp mind. 

Bob's interests were both broad and substantive. He was a bolo-tie wearing ham radio operator, an inventor of a health drink that he drank daily throughout his life, a writer of database programs, a self-taught western history buff and avid book collector and reader.  

Bob's friends treasured his ability to bring the past to life through story-telling, whether drawn from the source material of his life or the adventures of Isabella Bird in the Rocky Mountains in the 1800s. As a resident of Oaknoll, Bob enjoyed friendships with a wide range of people. He particularly enjoyed his conversations with retired University of Iowa professors, grateful for the opportunity to engage his intellectual curiosity.

The sharpness of Bob's mind was matched by his warmth of his heart and giving nature. When his wife Charlotte experienced a lengthy illness, Bob was a dedicated care-giver, providing love and support day in and day out for years. He later provided a similar level of care to friends at Oaknoll, while extending a smile and greeting to every resident and staff person he encountered. 

Bob treasured visits from his family and friends, who were always greeted affectionately and gratefully, and with whom he shared his full presence, attention and concern.   He will be deeply missed.