HAWK, Richard Barry (Dick)

HAWK, Richard Barry (Dick)
October 12, 1926 – December 2, 2018

Dick Hawk was born October 12, 1926 in Calgary, the tenth and youngest child of Walter and Beatrice (Thomson) Hawk of Parkland. He was raised at Parkland and attended school in Parkland and Nanton. In 1963, he married Pat Patterson of Claresholm, and together they raised two daughters.
After graduation, Dick went to work for Clyde Jessup at the Nanton News, and subsequently he and partner George Meyer bought the newspaper from the Jessup family and ran it together until George left for the Camrose Canadian. Dick then published the News himself until 1977. Under his editorship, the paper won numerous awards from both the Canadian and the Alberta Weekly Newspaper Associations. In 1977, Dick sold the News accepted a position at the Vulcan Advocate where he remained until his retirement in 1989.
Dick was well known locally and throughout Southern Alberta as an accomplished sportsman. He participated in baseball, hockey, golfing, and curling, and was a member of the Nanton Rifle and Revolver Club and an avid recreational horseman. Although baseball was his first love, he was more widely known as “a helluva hockey player”, perhaps most notably for captaining the Nanton Palominos to their 1955-56 Big Six League championship. Over the years he acted as a coach for various minor sports’teams.
In 1994, Dick and Pat retired to the family ranch at the Greenbank District west of Claresholm, where they enjoyed several years of rural life until 2010, when they moved to Strathmore to spend more time with their daughters and grandchildren.
Dick passed away peacefully at the age of 92 following a brief illness. He was predeceased by his parents, sisters Helen, Winnie, Hazel, Beatrice and Phyllis, brothers Bill, Jim, Wally and Stan, brother-in-law Danny Patterson and many dear friends. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Patricia (Patterson) Hawk, his daughters Karen (Dion) Galandy and Susan Hawk, and his grandchildren Jacob and Tessa Galandy, all of Strathmore. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
In recognition of Dick’s long involvement with the community of Nanton and amateur sports, the family requests that in lieu of sending flowers, please forward a donation to Nanton Palominos Alumni Hockey, Box 393, Nanton AB, T0L 1R0.
In accordance with Dick’s wishes, no funeral will be held at this time but plans for a Celebration of Life may be announced at a future date. To send condolences, please visit Dick’s obituary at www.wheatlandfuneralhome.ca