William Griner Hawes
On Wednesday July 15, 2026, William Griner Hawes, 91, of Ocilla, Georgia, passed away in the community where he was born, raised, and spent his entire life.
As a young man, Bill returned from the University of Georgia to take care of his mother after his father's death and took over the family farm. Bill was a lifelong farmer, who grew peanuts, tobacco, corn, and cotton, for more than 5 decades. He was a hard worker who took great pride in his farm, supporting his family, their needs, and their farming efforts well into his 70s. He was an outstanding citizen and a member of Ocilla Baptist Church, where he served the Church in many capacities.
Bill was truly a joy to be around, greeting everyone with a smile and a kind word. Bill was known for playfully teasing his friends and family, especially his grandniece and grandnephews. He was a wonderful family man who shared his love of south Georgia and farming with his nieces and nephews as they were growing up. Over the course of many visits to the farm, he taught them to drive and showed them all the important Georgia activities--how to boil peanuts, shoot a pistol, and crack pecans. Most importantly, he showed his family how to be kind, loving, and generous. He even loaned a 17-year-old nephew his beloved Pontiac Grand Prix to take his date to prom. His warmth, humor, and kindness will be deeply missed.
Living far away from his immediate family, Bill relied on the kindness and support at Magnolia Place in Ocilla in his later years, and those who helped care for him enjoyed him immensely and will remember him with affection.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Lillian Griner Hawes; his father, Milton Candler Hawes; his sister, Ann Hawes Schultz; his brother, Henry Candler Hawes; and his longtime partner, Norman Faulk.
He is survived by his niece Karen Lamb (Don), his nephew Gary Schultz (Heather), his niece Leslie Coppage (Joel), his nephew Brett Hawes (Tami), and his nephew Henry Hawes, as well as many grandnieces and grandnephews.
The family will receive friends beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 18, 2026, at Paulk Funeral Home, 201 West Fourth Street, Ocilla, Georgia. The funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. with the Rev. Billy Stephens officiating. Interment will follow at the Brushy Creek Cemetery, Irwin County, Georgia.