David DAWKINS

David Riley Dawkins passed away suddenly and too soon on August 23, 2015, after collapsing from a heart attack in his home in St. Charles, Missouri. David was 54 years old. David was born in Kirksville, Missouri, on December 4, 1960. He was the second child of Riley and Georgie Dawkins. At four years of age, David took it upon himself to get a haircut at the barbershop down the street, panicking his mother until the barber called her to let her know where he was. David was always a handful and as a young boy thought his name was “Dammit Dave.” A young entrepreneur at heart, David had a thriving business cutting grass all around his neighborhood, keeping himself well-stocked with quarters for the arcade machine and the illicit soda pop he would hide in the bushes behind the house. As he grew up, David’s family always knew his current interests by the stack of library books he brought home. His enthusiastic interest in how-to literature led to the adult who could fix anything. David was well-known in his St. Charles neighborhood as the guy with all the tools, who may let you borrow one, and give advice on how to fix your problem. But David wasn’t just a handyman. His degrees in Chemical Technology and Physics showed him to be an extraordinary mind. Ultimately, computer programming became his passion and his career. After graduating with a Master of Science in Physics from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1997, he worked as a programmer at SBC (later AT&T) and rose to Senior Technical Architect, side-stepping further promotion because, as he said, “I want to program.” In 2009, he went to work for Accenture in a similar capacity and was still an Accenture employee at the time of his death. In his career, David was known by all as a master problem solver. He will be sorely missed by colleagues across the globe. Eminently more, he will be missed by his family. David loved being married and loved being a father. He loved being a son, a brother, and an uncle too. He had the biggest heart in the world and did everything he did for his family--except maybe going to all those garage sales. That he did for himself, and he deserved every minute and more of the treasure hunting he so enjoyed. David was preceded in death by his father, Riley. David is survived by his wife, Kim; his sons, Riley and Ian; his mother, Georgie; his sister, Debra (Rob); his niece, Andrea (Dan); and his best friend, Dave. The date and time of the memorial service will be announced soon. In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made to: The Richard D. Schwartz Undergraduate Scholarship in Physics and Astronomy In memory of David R. Dawkins Department of Physics & Astronomy University of Missouri-St. Louis One University Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63121-4499 (If you are so inclined, please make checks payable to UM-St. Louis, “Physics and Astronomy Fund”)

David DAWKINS

December 4, 1960 - August 23, 2015