Lake City school leaders remember longtime educator Hawkins

LAKE CITY — Longtime educator Dr. Lynda P. Hawkins of Coward, remembered as a hard-working administrator and teacher committed to education in southern Florence County, died Friday after an illness.

During her many years at Lake City High School, Hawkins served as a business education teacher, business department chairperson, assistant principal, director of career and technology education, and associate principal for curriculum and instruction.

Hawkins retired from Florence School District 3 in 2007 as senior director of accountability.

Former Lake City High School Principal Michael Gaskin said Hawkins was a major part of the success they had as an administrative team at the school.

They would constantly discuss concepts and strategies, but Hawkins “would take the bull by the horns and see it through,” he said.

Gaskin said Hawkins kept things in perspective for him and wasn’t shy when telling him specific things wouldn’t work.

Former district Superintendent Dr. Lane N. Floyd said he met Hawkins in 1977, when he was an assistant principal at Lake City High School.

Floyd said Hawkins was a dedicated, hard-working “master” teacher who always sought challenges. He never heard any complaints from her, he said.

When he became superintendent, he promoted Hawkins to assistant principal at Lake City High School. He saw that whatever task he would assign Hawkins, she would get it done and do it correctly, he said.

Floyd promoted Hawkins again, this time to the district office, where she was director of federal programs. In that job, he said, Hawkins was the “go-to person” regarding not only federal programs, but a wide range of issues.

Floyd said Hawkins was an asset to Florence School District 3 and a wonderful friend whom he trusted greatly.

Hawkins’ death is a great loss for South Carolina, said Dr. Sharon Moore Askins, former Florence School District 3 assistant superintendent for instruction. People throughout the state knew Hawkins for her educational leadership in professional organizations and statewide educational initiatives as well as her dedication to a quality job, Askins said.

“I am saddened by this great loss of talent,” Askins said.

Askins said she worked with Hawkins for 12 years, during which Hawkins served as an assistant principal at Lake City High School and a district-level administrator.

Bert Guerry, an assistant principal at Lake City High School during the same time as Hawkins, said Hawkins was “aggressive, steady and professional.”

Guerry said he worked with Hawkins for 10 years and that Hawkins had an excellent relationship with the students at the high school.

Dr. Jerry Parker, another former assistant principal of the high school, said Hawkins “devoted everything to her job.”

CoCo M. Floyd, a culinary arts teacher at Lake City High School, said she will always be grateful that Hawkins first hired her as a teacher.

“She led us with confidence and strength,” Floyd said. “Education has lost a master.”

Jeff Henneghan, who taught science at the high school when Hawkins was associate principal, said Hawkins was “fair and honest.”

“If she could help you, she would,” said Henneghan, adding that he knew and worked with Hawkins for more than 30 years.

“You couldn’t ask for a harder-working school administrator,” said Eileen Filyaw, a business education teacher at Lake City High School.

Filyaw, who said she knew Hawkins since both were teenagers, recalled that Hawkins felt like she would be able to help more students when she became an administrator.

“She was very conscientious about her job,” said Sherry Bess, a former guidance counselor at the high school. “She wanted everyone to stay on task.”

“You couldn’t say no to her,” said Kent Daniels, a former history and government teacher at Lake City High School.

If someone did say “no” to Hawkins, he or she would fear the consequences, Daniels said.

Brantley Graham was a student at the high school when Hawkins was assistant principal. She described Hawkins as “very authoritative, but easy to talk to.”
“You knew that she cared about you,” she said.

Graham, now an English teacher at The Carolina Academy in Lake City, said Hawkins was one of the people who influenced her to become an educator.

Hawkins, a graduate of the former J.C. Lynch High School in Coward, earned a bachelor’s in office administration from the University South Carolina and a master’s in elementary education from Francis Marion University.

She returned to the University of South Carolina for an educational specialist degree in educational administration, and she received her Ph.D. in educational administration from the university in 2002.

In 1969, Hawkins was hired initially as a teacher and girls basketball coach at the former Lake City Junior High School. She was also a teacher, chairwoman of the business department, and varsity girls basketball coach at J.C. Lynch High School from 1970 until 1980.

Hawkins was honored as Educator of the Year by the South Carolina Business Education Association, Secondary Business Education Teacher of the Year by the National Business Education Association, and Assistant Principal of the Year by the South Carolina Association of Secondary School Principals.

She was active in professional, civic, community and church organizations and published many professional articles throughout her career in education.