Jackie Hawkins, a medical technologist for 40 years at the Brotman Medical Center and the wife of the journalist Ross Hawkins, died on Monday. She was 73 years old.
Known lovingly as The Garage Sale Lady for her attraction to the neighborhood tradition, her husband said, “You only find one Jackie in your life.”
A Memorial Mass in celebration of her life will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at St. Augustine's Catholic Church, 10195 Washington Blvd., Culver City. A reception will follow at the Parish Hall next door to the church.
Born Jacquelyn Gay McCandless on June 22, 1936, in Butler, PA, to Eva Lucille McCandless and Lamont Morton McCandless, her father was co-founder/co-owner of Western Pennsylvania's largest printing company.
After graduating from Mount Aloysius College in 1958, she received her medical technologist's license from Monte Fiore Medical School in 1960. Two years later she joined the Peace Corps, serving for two years in Morocco.
Later she became a makeup artist and sold Max Factor products at various U.S. military installations in Germany.
She met her husband, Ross Hawkins, a former Air Force sergeant and independent contractor in Wiesbaden, Germany, in 1968. They were married in Basel, Switzerland, and resided in Wiesbaden where she gave birth to twin sons, Brian and Lee Hawkins.
Ross and Jacquelyn returned to the U.S. in 1970 and settled in Palms. She went to work at Brotman Hospital in December 1970 as a medical technologist and remained there until her death.
The Hawkins family moved to their present home in Culver City in 1986.
Jackie and Ross took up square dancing, and they were members of the Heels and Soles group for several years.
Jackie also assisted her husband in his work when he was Executive Director of the Western Hemisphere Marath as well as more recently as President of the Backlot Film Festival.
She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings, Kenneth Lamont McCandless, Evalyn Lukavich and Ellen Diel.
In addition to her husband and sons, Mrs. Hawkins is survived by her daughter-in-law Jennifer Hawkins, grandson Sean Hawkins and siblings, Barbara McCandless, Judith McCandless, Gretchen Amado, David McCandless, Karen McCandless, Mary Bouchner and Patricia McCandless.
