- Date Of Birth: October 8, 1964
- Date Of Death: December 6, 2008
- State: Idaho
The Hawkes and the O’Toole families suffered a terrible loss on November 30, 2008 when Christopher Hawkes departed this world. Christopher was born October 8, 1964 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Characteristically, he was in a hurry to come into this world and was almost born on the front steps of Milwaukee County Hospital. As a little boy, he lived in Milwaukee and Houston, Texas, while captivating all the older women who came in contact with him. In 1967 his parents moved back to Boise with Christopher. He went to Boise schools and graduated from Meridian High School in 1982. Much to his parents’ dismay, he bought his first motorcycle in 1980 and made his first parachute jumps, three in one day in 1981. While attending Boise State, Christopher took up Golden Gloves boxing, With a 6 – 0 record and an offer for a pro bout, he decided to give up boxing due to, among other things, strenuous objections from his parents. During his time at Boise State he also interned at Hewlett Packard and joined the Idaho Air Guard. He graduated with honors from Boise State and was active in student government while there. After graduation, he went into Officer’s Training School in the Air Guard, where he trained as a pilot and intelligence officer. He left the guard as a first lieutenant. Christopher spent 25 years with Hewlett Packard in tech support and marketing, at one point even receiving a personal letter of commendation from Bill Hewlett. His HP career regularly took him to Europe and Asia and he became confident with navigating his way through foreign countries, including Russia. After years of being a bachelor, Christopher finally woke up, smelled the coffee and married a lovely woman, Lisa O’Toole in 2005. At the time of his death, he was working for RLS Consulting in Chicago.
Christopher loved Idaho for the skiing, mountain bike riding and backpacking opportunities it offered him. Although his life was heartbreakingly short, he managed to live it to the fullest. He loved and was loved, and maybe that is the best thing that can be said about any of us when our time comes.
Christopher was preceded in death by his mother, Kay B. Hawkes. He is survived by his wife, Lisa O’Toole and her daughter Hayley Hinrichs; his father, and second mother, Bill and Dottie Hawkes; his brother and sister in-law Drew and Lisa Hawkes; his brother, Jimmy Herrick; and his aunt and cousin, Jeana Hawkes and Claire Waldron; and several nieces and nephews.
