Joe Dent Morris Hawkins

(June 7, 1958 – January 6, 2024)

Funeral services will be held at 2:00pm on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at the Billy M. King-Colonial Chapel Funeral Home in Collins for Joe Dent Morris Hawkins, 65 of Collins, who passed away on Saturday, January 6, 2024 at his residence.

Brother Ken Hickman will officiate at the services with interment to follow in the Coaltown Cemetery in Purvis. Billy M. King-Colonial Chapel Funeral Home in Collins will be in charge of the arrangements.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, and from 12:00 p.m. until service time on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, at Billy M. King-Colonial Chapel Funeral Home, 3202 Hwy 49, Collins, Mississippi.

Pallbearers will be Austin Hawkins, Jarrad Ratliff, Mitch McWhorter, Austen McWhorter, Robert Runnels, Darron Warren, Lamar McRaney, and Gary Cook.

Mr. Hawkins was born on June 7, 1958, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to Joe and Dewana Benson Hawkins.  He was a graduate of the Brooklyn High School Class of 1977.  Mr. Hawkins lived in Hattiesburg the majority of his life in a community called the Butterbean Flats until 1986, when he married his "Main Squeeze", Donna Jean Evans, and moved to Collins.  He was employed as a welder by American Sand and Gravel for fifteen years and then went to work for Blain Companies in Mount Olive for seventeen years before his retirement.  Mr. Hawkins was a member of the Pentecostal faith.  He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend who will be dearly missed by his family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Dewana Benson Hawkins.

Survivors include his wife of thirty-eight years, Donna Jean Evans Hawkins of Collins; one daughter, Tonya "Moe" Ratliff (Paul) of Hattiesburg; one brother, Dejuan Hawkins of New Augusta; two grandsons, Austin Lee Hawkins (Madison Mitchell) of Ellisville and Jerrod P. Ratliff (Daisy) of Petal; one nephew, Jimmy Hawkins of New Augusta; one niece, Jessica Hawkins of New Augusta; and three great nephew and nieces, Jacob, Riviera, and Sierra.

Family and friends may sign an online guestbook at www.billymkingcolonialchapel.com.