WHITE BEAR LAKE, MN (January 30, 2015) – Alyce (Larson) Hawkinson, widow of Covenant minister and administrator Jim Hawkinson, died Wednesday. She was 81.
A memorial service will be held at Salem Covenant Church in New Brighton, Minnesota, at 1 p.m. Friday, February 6.
Alyce was born May 27, 1933, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Covenant pastor Leonard and Alice (Bloomgren) Larson, who had recently returned from mission work in China to serve at First Covenant Church.
She studied at the Kansas City Conservatory of Music and later at North Park College. While at North Park she met Jim, who was attending seminary. He was a musical soloist, and Alyce quickly became his accompanist.
They were married June 11, 1954. The couple ministered at a number of churches, including Bethel Covenant Church in Middletown, Connecticut (internship); Bethany Covenant Church in Chicago (interim); Redeemer Covenant Church in Chicago (associate); Evangelical Covenant Church in Paxton, Illinois, initially as interim pastor and later as senior pastor; and the Evangelical Covenant Church in Hilmar, California, as senior pastor. Jim later joined the denominational offices in September 1966 as executive editor of publications, assuming the position as executive secretary of Covenant Publications in July 1970.
As executive secretary of Covenant Publications, Jim oversaw the creation of the current Covenant Hymnal. Alyce, an accomplished pianist who also amazed friends her perfect pitch, worked through the sheet music for every hymn to make certain of each note.
The couple retired to White Bear Lake, Minnesota, in 1995. The couple were married 57 years until Jim’s death in 2011.
She is survived by two daughters and three sons: Judy (Bob) Stromberg, Hugo, Minnesota; Eric (Patty) Hawkinson, Turlock, California; Mary (Bob) Manning, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Peter (Bonnie) Hawkinson, Wilmette, Illinois; and Paul (Kristin) Hawkinson, Green Oaks, Illinois; 16 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
Memorial gifts can be directed to the School of Music at North Park University in Chicago
in 1986-87 Jim and Alyce opened their home for a Sunday School class for post-college young adults which I taught weekly in their living room. They were kind, warm, gracious, hospitable, and wonderful examples of mature Christian disciples. It was a pleasure to know them and a joy to know they are both now seeing our Savior face to face.
I knew Alyce and Jim in Chicago. They welcomed us to North Park Covenant Church, where we felt like outsiders, and were most gracious and hospitable. Her son, Paul, and my son, John, were the same age, so we were involved in many school and church activities and even went to Great America together. Alyce and I skipped the roller coasters and rode on the log ride. We did get splashed a bit. She was a beautiful person who saw the best in everyone. Peace to her memory and love and blessings to her children.
Peace be to her memory.
All I can think of when I realize that she is no longer with us is that there is a great big hole in the hospitality and friendliness for the folks I know at Salem and in the Covenant. God gave Alyce a unique gift of friendship and Christ like compassion. In spite of her gifts, she was never intimidating and always reached out to those who needed a friend. We will miss her, but we cannot grieve God’s timing. He has counted our days.