Robert Jay Hawes (Bob) age 98, passed away peacefully on September 27, 2026, surrounded by his family in Holland, Michigan. He is survived by his children: Judy (John) Meyer, Becky (Tim) Dyk, Randy (Kim) Hawes, and Sarah (Stan) Vetter. He had grandchildren Kelli, Michael, Nick, and Armani. He had great-grandchildren Lydia, Chase, Brady, Felix, and Finley. He was preceded in death by his wife, Peg, his brother, Lawrence, and his deceased parents Arthur and Gertrude Hawes.
Bob was born and grew up in Albion, Michigan where he was active in music and theater;
playing clarinet in the school band and orchestra, and participating in school plays. In 1946, after high school, Bob joined the Army Air Force and was stationed on Adak Island in Alaska, in the 11th Operational Weather Squadron. After his military service, Bob went on a grand adventure: hitchiking there and back via California to Montana with a friend to visit a young lady.
Bob then enrolled at Albion College, where he studied Sociology and also met his future wife, Peg while playing in the orchestra together. He attributed his love of classical music to Peg, and their house was filled with equal parts classical and folk music.
After getting married in 1950, Bob started employment in the advertising department of Sears Robuck in Benton Harbor, MI. . He and Peg were always in love with water, so they were able to purchase a small lot on Lake Michigan and began building the Hawes cottage. Children started arriving in 1952, along with a boxer named Cindy, a canoe, and a small sailboat.
Bob and Peg’s love for water started them on a journey through boats; he built a Sears kit motor boat, added a sail to the canoe, and then started getting serious about sailing, ending up sailing through the Great Lakes on a 42 foot sailboat down the Inter-coastal Waterway to Florida and the Bahamas.
Another adventure involved Bob quitting his job at Sears and taking the whole family up north to Lincoln, where he became the manager of the Timberline Ski resort. The family lived in a log cabin heated by an oil stove in the living room.
After the ski lodge, the family moved back to Benton Harbor, and Bob started attending
computer classes at Michigan State University. He then won a position with the Kellogg
company in 1964,and moved the family to Battle Creek. His job as a systems analyst then took him to the Federal Building in Battle Creek, where he finally retired around 1985. While in Battle Creek, Bob was an enthusiastic member of the local theater group, and appeared in many public plays.
Retirement inspired Bob and Peg to move up north to Beulah, where they built a beautiful house overlooking a valley and Sleeping Bear dunes in the distance. Bob was in charge of maintaining the trails in Crystal Highlands, and they both enjoyed hiking and skiing the trails, swimming in Crystal Lake, and taking several 5th wheel and motor home trips across the country. They had a great relationship with the Crystal Highland neighbors and kept in touch with several over the years.
While in Beulah, Bob and Peg rekindled their love of music, and both were members of the
Benzie Symphony Orchestra; Bob on clarinet and Peg on violin. Bob also played in the local
community band, and both of them took on the important role of music librarians for the
orchestra. Because of their love of music, all four of Bob and Peg’s children are involved in
professional music of varying degrees.
Bob and Peg moved to Holland in 2012, where they made a home at Freedom Village. They
enjoyed visiting Holland State Park, the cultural aspects of the area, and especially enjoyed the Holland Symphony Orchestra, the Grand Rapids Symphony, and the Holland American Legion Band. Bob continued playing clarinet occasionally, and was even in charge of the Freedom Village talent show, where he performed a clarinet duet.
Peg passed away in 2020, but Bob was a frequent face throughout Freedom Village, with many people knowing his name. If he wasn’t walking about, he could be found reading a good book while wearing his signature tartan cap.
Bob will be greatly missed by his children and all who knew him. There is no memorial planned at this time. In lieu of flowers, the family would encourage you to donate to Holland Symphony Orchestra in his name.
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