Zach Kissentaner, Jackson Borg, Ali Miller, Blake Lueder and Luke Gholston.
Lake Highlands is mourning the loss of B. H. “Hawk” Hawkins, known and loved in the community as the friendly guy who owned Village Shoe Repair. Hawk died last week, and services were held October 3rd.
Hawk, 74, lived on Blackwood with his devoted wife, Annis, which kept him near his shop at Skillman and Abrams. Hawk was a talented craftsman who paid great attention to detail, and shelves stayed full with freshened-up purses, shoes and boots. As his health problems began his memory began to slip, and the gentle truth is that sweet Hawk lost a pair or two in his back room. Loyal customers didn’t mind much. Stopping in to hear Hawk’s always positive view of the world and the people in it was worth our time (and a good pair of loafers). Village Shoe Repair closed about a year ago.
B. H. “Hawk” Hawkins
Hawk is also survived by sons Linothus Bernard Williams and Zach Kissentaner, whose photos adorned store walls and shelves. Zach played youth league sports – especially football – and I’m pretty sure I could recount all his biggest plays from memory based on Hawk’s stories at the counter. Zach was also a Lake Highlands High School Bell Boy during the 2012-13 school year, another point of pride for Hawk. Zach now goes to college in Austin.
“He went to all the PTA meetings and school activities for Merriman Park, Forest Meadow and Lake Highlands,” recalled Suzanne Dale, whose son, Tanner, was a schoolmate. “We could always count on him being there to support Zach and the other boys.”
“He was a great man who never met a stranger, and he was greatly loved by this community,” said Mary Barnes, whose son, Beau, was a classmate. “Many, many times he delivered my repaired shoes to my home.”
Susan Brooks agreed. “He was just a nice, nice man.”
