Suzanne "Sue" N. Hawkins

Suzanne (Barclay) Hawkins, 86, was peacefully called home on September 22, 2022, surrounded by family in her home. She was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 7, 1936, to Thomas and Grace (Bryan) Barclay. Sue grew up in Indianapolis and graduated from Shortridge High School in the Class of 1954. She went on to attend William Woods College, earning an associate degree in 1956. She continued her studies at Indiana University earning a bachelor’s degree in English in 1958. In 1963, Sue earned her master’s degree in education from Butler University.

Sue was a dedicated educator, teaching English at Manual High School and, eventually, Arlington High School in Indianapolis. For a short period of time, she also taught at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis before deciding to focus on raising her family. She always beamed when talking about her teaching career and the life-long friendships she made. She routinely shared fond memories of that period in her life. It was at Manual High School that Sue met the love of her life, Ray. They married at Broadway Methodist Church in 1961. Together, they raised two sons, Jim and John.

After she retired from full-time teaching, Sue was very active in her community. She volunteered at Allisonville Elementary School, Eastwood Middle School, and North Central High School. She was always the first to volunteer for anything related to her sons’ education or extracurricular activities. She never missed a game or school event and was always there for her boys. In 1995, Sue became a grandma, a role she absolutely cherished. Her generosity, kindness, support, and devotion to her grandchildren was unmatched.

Family was everything to Sue. Growing up, she loved spending time with her cousins in southern Indiana. She was always quick to recall vivid stories of spending time on her grandparents’ farm or causing trouble with her cousin Nancy. She loved to go shopping with her mother and aunt at L.S. Ayres downtown or to road trip to Cincinnati with her cousins to find some exceptional bargains at Loehmann’s. Later in life, she filled her shopping fix by watching, and actively supporting, QVC.

Prior to her health declining, Sue was an active member of P.E.O. and a devoted member of Second Presbyterian Church. As a long-time season ticket holder for the Pacers and the Colts, she enjoyed attending games and closely followed the teams’ successes. Sue enjoyed cooking, reading, logic puzzles and playing cards. She was enthralled with genealogy and spent years tracing her family history.

Sue absolutely loved spending time with her treasured Bridge Club, which included her three best friends of nearly sixty years. They were all such a meaningful part of her journey. Perhaps above all, Sue loved spending time on the beach in Siesta Key, FL surrounded by her family or enjoying a girl’s trip with her cousins.

Sue always shared her knowledge and talents generously and kept us all laughing until the end. By God’s grace, Sue left this world a much better place than she found it.

Suzanne was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas D. and Grace E. Barclay and her husband, Roland Ray Hawkins. She is survived by her two sons: James Hawkins (Christine) and John Hawkins (Christy) and eight grandchildren who will miss grandma dearly: Will, Shannon, Rachel, Katherine (Jim) and Jack, Elizabeth, Joseph, and Michael (John).

Visitation will be held on Saturday, October 1st beginning at 1:00 pm at Flanner Buchanan-Oaklawn Memorial Gardens (Conner Suite), 9700 Allisonville Road. A celebration of Sue’s life will follow the visitation at 2:00 pm. There will be a graveside service immediately following. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Riley Children’s Hospital or the Indiana Historical Society.