Donald Hawes

Donald Otis Hawes, 89, of Waterville Valley, N.H and formerly of Lincoln, died peacefully surrounded by loved ones on July 17. He was the loving husband of the late Lillian Blanche Hawes.

Don was born in Arlington, Mass. on July 30, 1929 the son of Otis Lawrence Hawes and Anna McKay Hawes. He graduated from the of the University of Maine, Orono in 1951, where he received a B.S. in civil engineering. He served his country honorably in the Korean War and earned the United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Korean Service Medal with three bronze service stars.

Don was the owner and president of Hawes Electric Construction, Inc. in Watertown. He was a long-term member of the National Electrical Contractors Association and past president of the Boston chapter. He later became a distinguished Fellow in the NECA Academy of Electrical Contracting. He served the Watertown Savings Bank as a corporator and trustee for over 40 years. He was also a long-time member and a past president of the Watertown Rotary Club.

Don had a love for sports, travel, and the outdoors. He was an honorary member of the Concord Country Club, where he enjoyed playing golf, tennis and paddle. An avid downhill skier, Don remained active in the sport until the age of 84. He met his wife Blanche on the slopes and they were married in 1958. They introduced their children to the sport at an early age, marking the beginning of 60 years of family skiing. Don retired to the White Mountains of New Hampshire where he enjoyed skiing with his children and grandchildren.

Don was predeceased by his beloved wife, Lillian Blanche Hawes; sister Janet Hawes Street; and daughter-in-law Maral Hawes. He is survived by his son, Donald McKay Hawes of Concord, and Lauren Hawes Kondon and her husband Nicholas Kondon of Lincoln, as well as his grandchildren,Andrew, Ashley, Stephen, Luke and Anna, and his sister Jean Hawes Anderson.

Don led by example. He was known for his wise words, his infectious smile and his kind and compassionate spirit. He will be dearly missed and forever in our hearts as the man telling us all to “always do our best.”

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the memory of Donald O. Hawes to:

Emerson Hospital Foundation 
Dementia Friendly Program 
133 ORNAC 
Concord, MA 01742

Obituary courtesy of Concord Funeral Home.

Jack Kerrebrock

Jack L. Kerrebrock, 91, Professor Emeritus of Aerospace and Aeronautic Engineering at MIT, died at home on July 19. He was the loving husband for 12 years of Rosemary Redmond (Keough) “Crickett” Kerrebrock, and was married for almost 50 years to the late Bernice (Veverka) “Vickie” Kerrebrock, who died in 2003. 

Born in Los Angeles on February 6, 1928, he was the son of the late Oscar and Florence (Hoy) Kerrebrock. He taught at MIT and internationally for over 40 years. He was honored to teach in technical universities around the world including China, India, and Russia. He was world-renowned in his field, but more importantly, loved and respected by his many students.

He was an enthusiastic outdoorsman who was never happier than when he was climbing a mountain, hiking a wilderness trail, or leading a group of kids through ice and snow to teach them independence and survival skills. He was a member of the Explorer’s Club.

Jack was an avid sailor and loved to sail the waters of Cape Cod and the eastern shore on his boat Puffin. He was a long time member of the Woods Hole Yacht Club and passed his love of the sea onto his children. He ran his first Boston Marathon in his early fifties on a whim with no training. He followed that with several more, including the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. 

He and Crickett cherished their travels to South Africa, Scotland, Tuscany, Paris, and especially a trip to Cape Canaveral for one of the last shuttle launches. Jack had been an Associate Director of NASA in the 1980s, and enjoyed a professional relationship and friendship with many in the space exploration and astronaut community.

His was a life well lived and he will be missed terribly. He died on his own terms and separately thanked both of his amazing caregivers, Nadia Sydney and Yvrose Marcelus, the week before his passing to let them know how much he cared for and appreciated them. 

In addition to his wife, Jack leaves two children and their spouses, Nancy Kerrebrock and her husband Clint Cummins of Palo Alto, Calif., and Peter Kerrebrock and his wife Anne of Hingham. He was also father to the late Christopher Kerrebrock. He also leaves behind five grandchildren, Lewis Kerrebrock, Gale Kerrebrock, Renata Cummins, Skyler Cummins, and Lance Cummins. He is fondly remembered by Crickett’s stepchildren, Paul J. Redmond Jr. and his partner Joseph Palombo, Kelly Redmond and her husband Philip Davis, Maura Redmond, and Meaghan Winokur and her husband James and their children, Laine and Alicia Winokur.

Jack’s family will gather for a private service in the Dee Funeral Home, followed by burial at Lincoln Cemetery. A public memorial service is being planned and will be announced soon. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Jack and Vickie Kerrebrock Fellowship Fund, c/o Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 600 Memorial Drive, W98-200, Cambridge, MA 02139-4822.

(Obituary courtesy of Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.)