Michael "Mike" Johnson Hawke was a man who didn't like change. Faithful to one God, faithful to one wife, ever faithful to friends, family and employees who depended upon him every day and a lifelong and faithful resident of the state of Texas, specifically East Texas. He was faithful to show up at work every day, even at 77 years of age, and was one of the hardest workers you might ever know. He often joked as he pushed those he loved to their personal best that he would slow, rest and "sleep when I am dead."

Mike was born the son of the late Robert Wicking Hawke and Mildren Johnson Hawke on June 4, 1946, in Huntsville, Texas but raised in Oakhurst, Texas by his late and beloved maternal grandparents, Alec and Annie Bell Johnson. He met the Lord in the altar at Center Hill Baptist in Oakhurst, Texas at the age of fifteen and left this earth on May 3, 2024, to join his Lord and Savior. He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Stephen Edwin Hawke, and son-in-law, Mark Anthony McDermott.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Yolanda, daughters Jane Hawke Miller ( and husband, William O.B. Miller) and Mari "Mikey" Hawke-McDermott, granddaughters Katelyn Miller Owens (and husband, Charles Escal Owens, III) and Madelyn Michael McDermott, his sister, Martha Hawke Allison, and one great granddaughter, who was the joy of his old age, Jane Alice Owens.

Mike graduated from Coldspring High School and attended Sam Houston. He worked many boyhood jobs, including the counter at his grandparents General Store in Oakhurst, Texas, a gas pump attendant and as a busboy at Gaido's in Galveston while spending summers with his mother who worked as an RN at John Sealy Hospital. As an adult, he first worked at the Texas Department of Corrections, and then the Arkansas Department of Corrections, eventually working his way up to warden at the Cummins Unit. He then joined his father-in-law, the late Moses Martinez, Sr., in business and has been an owner/partner in the family business, Martinez Automotive and Martinez Heavy Truck, since 1977 up until the time of his death. Mike was an ASE Master Mechanic and taught many diesel mechanics over his lifetime and career, including his son-in-law and grandson-in-law, passing tricks of the trade learned from his father-in-law, Moses. Mike believed in hard work.

Mike was a faithful Master Mason for over 40 years, a 32nd degree, Scottish Rite Mason, and was a member of historic Forrest Lodge #19 A.F.&A.M in Huntsville, Texas. He also served in the Texas National Guard, Airborne Division.

He was deeply loved and appreciated and will be missed by his wife, children, grandchildren, great grandchild, son-in-law, grand son-in-law, sister, numerous nieces, and nephews, and the countless number of people who just needed someone they could claim as family, someone they could depend upon, someone that would invest in them and see in them what they couldn't see in themselves. That was who Mike was.

A memorial service and celebration of his life will be held on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at
Covenant Fellowship Church, 606 FM 1791 North, Huntsville, Texas 77320 at 2:00 p.m.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to Covenant Fellowship
Church ministries: youth, children, or Celebrate Recovery.

The services are under the care of Heritage Oak Funeral Home, 1080 Interstate 45 South, Huntsville Texas.