Janice A. Hawkins

Janice Ames Hawkins, 78, of Nashua died on September 8, 2001 at the Courville in Nashua, New Hampshire. Mrs. Hawkins lived at the Courville since the summer of 2000. Mrs. Hawkins was born July 29, 1923 in Bangor, Maine, the daughter of Dr. Forrest B. and Mildred (Wilder) Ames. She lived for 26 years in Hillsboro before moving to New Boston in 1986 with her late husband the Reverend James E. Hawkins. In 1999, she relocated to Nashua. Mrs. Hawkins was an educator for more than 20 years during which time she was a home economics teacher for 13 years at Hillsboro-Deering High School and 7 years at Henniker High School. In retirement, she devoted her time and energies to the Whipple Free Library in New Boston and to the New Boston Elementary School Library as a volunteer librarian. Mrs. Hawkins was graduated in 1941 (with honors) from Bangor Senior High, following which she completed a post graduate course at Northfield Seminary in Northfield, Mass. She was graduated in 1946 from Simmons College with a Bachelor of Science degree in home economics and 1971 she completed a Master of Science degree in teacher supervision from Keene State Teachers College. She was prominent in choral musical associations in Bangor, at Northfield, and while attending Simmons. Her involvement with home economics was significant, beginning with college club work and culminating in her service in the early 1980s as State Presidential representative for New Hampshire in the National Home Economics Association. Mrs. Hawkins' memberships included Smith Memorial Congregational Church in Hillsboro, the Ladies Aid Society of Lower Hillsborough Village Chapel, Friends of Whipple Free Library in New Boston, and the New Hampshire Retired Home Economics Teachers Association. Mrs. Hawkins was predeceased by her husband the Reverend James E. Hawkins, her sister Barbara Ames, and her grandson Geoffrey Poortinga. She is survived by her son and his wife, James and Jacquie Hawkins of New Boston; daughter Barbara and her husband Bob Poortinga of Bloomington, Indiana; daughter Cricket and her husband Don Bouchard of Amherst; daughter Merrie and her husband Scott Regan; three grandsons, Joshua Hawkins, Jared Hawkins, and Garrett Poortinga; two granddaughters, Priscilla Poortinga and Julia Bouchard; sister Marilyn and brother-in-law Nathaniel Sawyer; sister Priscilla and brother-in-law Tom Pike; life long and dearest friend of the family Irene Shannon of Bangor, Maine; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and grand nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, Mrs. Hawkins' family requests donations to the Whipple Free Library, New Boston, NH 03070 or the New Boston Rescue Squad, New Boston, NH 03070. A celebration of the life of Janice A. Hawkins is scheduled for Friday, September 14th at the New Boston Community Church at 1 p.m. Inquiries may be directed to James Hawkins at 603-487-5567. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery in Bangor, Maine at 2:00 p.m. on September 15th.