Funeral services for 70-year old Stanley Hawkins are Sat, July 1, 2023 at 10:00 at St Isaac Jogues Catholic Church in Rapid City, SD, with Father Ed Witt, SJ, officiating and traditional Lakota services by Bryant High Horse.
Burial will follow at 11:30 at Pine Lawn Memorial Park in Rapid City.
Visitation is Friday, June 30, from 5:00-7:00 with Vigil services at 7:00, both at St Isaac Jogues Catholic Church in Rapid City.
Online condolences may be left at siouxfuneralhome.com
Stanley George Hawkins “Wakiyan Hoksila” was born on December 23, 1952 in Bridgeport, NE to Owen Hawkins and Marie (Good Shield) Hawkins. Stanley made his journey to the Spirit World on June 21, 2023 at the Monument Health Hospital in Rapid City, SD.
Stan resided in San Jose, CA and returned to Rapid City in the late 1960’s. He attended the Rapid City Areas Schools system and was active in football, boxing, and other various sports.
Stan graduated from WDVT with an associate degree in Electronics and worked for Midwestern Homes for many years.
He was also a truck driver, landscaper, builder, and worked for SCI/Sanmina/SCI for 28 years before they closed their electronics plant in South Dakota. Stanley was sent to Chicago to Fuji Electronics for training and became a certified technician for Fuji Robotics.
Stanley loved music and played in a rock-n-roll band. He loved pool, but when he could not find a cue stick he liked, he engineered one of his own design and started making Hawkeye Custom Cues; later renamed Black Hawk Custom Creations.
Stan also started a cue repair business open to all players and built custom cues for them as well. His cues are in the Blue Book of Custom Cues, and he was inducted into the South Dakota Pool Hall of Fame.
Stan met the love of his life, Laurie (Ovitt) Hawkins, at the Community Service Center. Stan and Laurie played pool in state, national and international tournaments and became well-known in all the local pool leagues. Together they loved to listen to music, watch movies, and were true soul mates.
Stan attended Oglala Lakota College and obtained a degree in Business and Native American Studies; this is where he became familiar with his Lakota culture and grew to love the people and culture.
Stan studied all the Traditional ways and began building drums, breast plates, shields, and various leather items. He used earthly natural materials as much as possible such as buffalo, elk, and deer hides.
When he created something, he did it in good spirit, smudged, and prayed. Stan made earrings, necklaces, bracelets, chokers, still using items naturally from the earth.
Stan was an award winning artist who focused on traditional art and regalia. He was part of the Racing Magpie Community for many years and grew close to many world-renown artists while becoming well known and respected throughout the community.
He was recognized by many organizations for his traditions of supporting the old ways of creating his art.
Stan was an amazing generous person, artist, pool player, musician, mechanic, and put his best in all he did. Most of all he loved his family and did whatever he could to help provide for them.
He had many friends in all walks of life and was a warrior in life who fought so hard to live. Until we meet again.
Stan is survived by his wife of 50 years Laurie; son Chris and his wife of 30 years Jen; daughter Anna; grandchildren Justin, Jesse, & Bryson, Jonathan, Danial, Anthony, Deja, Breanna, Ralph-John Andreas, and Paxstan; four great-grandchildren; sisters Teresa Hawkins, Twila Hawkins-Dell, and Patricia (Donald) Schwartz; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Stan was preceded in death by his parents Owen and Marie (Good Shield) Hawkins; and brothers Cornell Hawkins, Anthony Hawkins, Michael Hawkins, and Edwin Hawkins.
Pallbearers will be Chris Hawkins, Jesse Hawkins, Bryson Hawkins, Jonathan Hawkins, Dominic Garcia, and Richard Briggs.
Honorary pallbearers will be All Friends, Family, and Relatives, the Racing Magpie Community, SD Arts Council, Art in the Park-Eagle Butte, CAT Scratch Studies, Cary Thrall Akta Lakota Museum, COOP Council, The Heritage Center at Mahpiya Luta, Matthews Opera House, Rockin Beadwork Studio, Journey Museum, Black Hills Pow Wow, Native People of the Plains, SD Public Broadcasting, Native Market, Along the Way (KEVN-Steve Long), 1st People’s Fund, The Warning, Lakota Funds, Dahl Fine Arts Center, and all the organizations who crossed his path.
Sioux Funeral Home in Pine Ridge is in charge of arrangements for Stanley Hawkins