Sports Loses 'Dad' Hawkins

Henry Estes “Dad” Hawkins, widely known as the No.1 local football and baseball fan, died Monday after a brief illness. He was 78.

It was his proudest boast that he had never missed a Palm Beach High School football game played here, his interest having stemmed from the fact that his son, Cy Hawkins, played on the first football team here in 1956 and was captain the next year.

The Hawkins family moved here in 1921 from Webster County, G. Another son, Harry, also was an early football star here.

In recent years Mr. Hawkins had been an ardent baseball and football fan, attending games of the Philadelphia Athletes and local Indians as well as the high school teams.

Lake Lytal, chairman of the county commission and a teammate of Cy and Harry Hawkins in high school football, expressed regret at the news of the death.

“Every boy who attended school here in the 1920’s has lost a real friend, and every boy who played at Palm Beach High on all the teams since then will be sorry to hear of the death of their No. 1 fan.”

Funeral services will be announced by the Mizell-Simon-Faville Funeral Home.