Richard Kingsley Hawes III at age 77 peacefully passed away on April 27, 2021 at his home in Westport Harbor. He was surrounded by his sister, Anne Gray, his niece, Jillian C. Hawes, and devoted, round-the-clock, nurses aides: Gretita Pereira, Angela Rodriguez, Lodi Mustafa and Stephanie Beaudry.

“Dicksie,” as close friends and family called him, lifted the spirits of everyone who knew him and he would “give away the farm” to help others solve a problem. For example, a Friend: “could  I borrow a pair of pliers?” Dickie: “here, take the tool box.”

Dickie never spoke ill of anyone. He was not a complainer. If a project needed completion, put him on it - “Dickie will get it done.” If he saw someone appearing idle, for example, his brother, he would bark, “don’t you have anything better to do? Get to work!” He frowned upon people who wasted his time. He was always on the move - had to go somewhere; for example, Brother: “could you help me lift this rototiller?” Dickie: “NO! I’m busy. Some people have to work around here, ya know!”

He was never shy to expose his political preferences or state his opinions. Dickie: “Did you vote for Trump today?” He had zero tolerance for unbecoming behavior, character flaws, or offensive deportment.

Born in Fall River on December 29, 1943, he was the first child of Anne Rogers Hawes and Richard Kingsley Hawes, Jr., both of Fall River (she, on Lincoln Avenue and he, two doors down on Underwood Street). 

Because of the war, Dickie did not see his father for the first six months of his life during which time he developed a “staph infection” with a 107 degree fever that changed the course of his life forever. The promising new antibiotic, Penicillin, was in short supply for civilians, going instead to the troops in Europe and the Pacific. As a result of dosage rationing, a lifetime of mental challenges defined his life and shaped that of his family too. However, compared to the alternative, he lived a good life.

Dickie attended a private boarding school on the grounds of a former Catholic Church convent in East Pembroke, Mass., for three years in 1954 at age eleven. His mother would remind us by saying, “at that time he could not even tie his shoes.” The Arnold School was owned by a dedicated couple with a fresh and innovative approach to educating boys from around the country with learning limitations. Dickie grew up quickly there, and was taught valuable life skills.

He learned to read, write letters home, and do useful math. He excelled at chores and farm duties under supervision by the faculty and older students. Upon his return home, he worked at a number of local businesses in Westport including: Abraham Manchester’s store, Bojuma Farm, Lee’s Market, F.L. Tripp & Son’s boatyard, and the Smith brother’s potato farm (currently, Westport Vineyards & Winery). For years, he drove a moped to work.

After upgrading his transportation mode to an '88 Dodge Ram truck, trips to the town dump became favorite excursions, often several times daily. Several friends who drove him after his license was not renewed stated: “A trip to the dump with Dickie was like a moment in Heaven.”

Dickie performed odd jobs for members of his family and neighboring friends who worked alongside him and hired out his truck. Having grown up in a tidy home it was natural that he expected the town dump to be orderly and spotless. He often commented on the scattered mess of papers and debris, calling out the town employees, “slobs!” as he raced around picking up the trash - putting it where it belonged. Dickie was known to come home from dump runs with tools, appliances, and even paintings by local artists that he recognized as belonging to families he knew - and returned them to their rightful owner the next day.

He lived diligently and enthusiastically by the decree, “there is a place for everything, and everything must be in its place.” Dickie enjoyed log splitting, stacking wood, mowing lawns, bailing boats, setting moorings, raking and yard work, and sanding and painting boats. He worked alongside his mentor, sage, and life-long buddy, Sam West (“Whiskers”), a Little Compton carpenter, local character, and faithful family friend who taught, watched over, and guided Dickie for the better part of 50 years.

Dickie was well traveled. With his parents and their friends, he visited the Jungfrau in Switzerland, asked for a hot dog w/ relish in Ireland, biked around the Island of Bermuda looking for Rum Raisin ice cream, and chortled with pub patrons in the countryside of Cornwall, England. Every summer from 1965 - 2000, Dickie enjoyed cruising the Maine coast out of Brooklin’s Center Harbor with his parents on “Salt Wind,” a 31’ Concordia Sloop. Stories abound detailing how his gifted eyesight and keen hearing in foggy weather kept his skipper (father) on course or, more importantly, averted a navigational calamity. Dickie had extraordinary sensory capabilities.

R.K.H. III is survived by his younger brother, Robert Hawes (Westport Harbor) and sister, Anne Gray (York Harbor, Maine). He is predeceased by his mother, (Anne Hawes (Feb. 2020), and the spouses of his siblings, Barbara Jerry Hawes (Aug. 2020) and Robert Gray (May 2019).

Completing the family portrait are nieces, Jillian C. Hawes (Westport Harbor) and Heather S. Hawes (Cohasset, Mass.) with her husband, David Dwyer and their three children, Isabelle K., Beatrice C. and Willy H. Dwyer.

In lieu of flowers the family encourages contributions in Richard’s memory to the Hawes - Brayton Music Fund at the United Congregational Church P.O. 506 Little Compton, RI 02837.

A celebration and service for family and neighborhood friends will be held at Cockeast Farm, 68 Howland Road, Westport, under a tent on Friday, June 25, at 2 pm.