Keith Lowell Hawn

Keith Lowell Hawn, 87, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on January 12, 2016 at Hospice House in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Funeral services will be conducted on Friday, January 15, 2016 at 1pm at Coffelt’s Funeral Chapel with Dale Coffelt officiating. Keith will be laid to rest next to his wife Erline at Pinecrest Memorial Park. Keith was the second of two sons born to Arthur and Carmel Hawn on March 10, 1928, at 312 Willow Street, Pendleton, Umatilla County, Oregon. As recorded in his baby book: The first time Keith smiled was on March 20th, 1928 and he never stopped smiling. Keith’s first outing was on April 22, 1928 to Kamela from Pendleton in a Ford Coupe. Keith’s first laugh out loud was on May 8th, 1928. At age 3 months Keith made his first journey to visit his Grandma on June 12, 1928. Keith grew up in the La Grande, OR area and had a lifelong love of nature and the outdoors. Keith met his future lifelong partner, Erline, when they worked in the same building at the Umatilla cannery in Milton Freewater, OR. Shortly thereafter Keith joined the army and served in the Korean War. Upon his return in December 1952 the two met up again and married on January 2, 1953 in Walla Walla, WA. They then moved to Corvallis, OR where Keith finished school under the GI bill. This led to a 30 year career with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. He was well known for his sense of humor and his kindness and peace that uplifted every living soul he crossed paths with. Keith and Erline raised four children and lived in many places including Mackey, Burley and Lewiston before moving to Sandpoint, ID in 1970. After his retirement in 1984 Keith enjoyed traveling across the country with Erline, meeting with distant relatives, gathering and sharing family stories which are deeply touching and will be shared for many more generations to come. Keith devoted himself to Erline’s care in the final years of her life. Keith was absolutely a gentleman and a scholar and would say after relaying each piece of factual and fictional informational tidbit … “Don’t you see?”. We love you so much dad and you will be missed every day…Don’t you see?… Keith was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Erline; parents, Arthur and Carmel Hawn; and brother, Richard Hawn. Keith is survived by his daughter, Susan Hawn-Smith (Harold) of Sandpoint, ID; son, Lowell Hawn (Hwa Cha) of Careywood, ID; daughter, Carmel Hawn of Kalaheo, HI; daughter, Laurie Sheldon (Dave) of Edmonds, WA; two grandchildren, Erika Birschbach-Sheldon (Jessie) of Los Angeles, CA and Mitchell Sheldon of Los Angeles, CA; one great-grandson, Dominik Bellavia. The family would like to extend a special thank you in appreciation for the courteous and highly professional care given to Keith Hawn by Bonner General Hospital; Kootenai Medical Center and especially the compassionate caregivers at Hospice House of Coeur d’Alene.