The daughter of Willis Brown Sr. and Rosa Brown Willis, Mrs. Dawkins was born in Talbot County, GA and was a 1949 graduate of Radcliff High School. She attended the City Hospital School of Nursing in Columbus, GA, and retired following 20 years of service as a Registered Pediatric Nurse at Martin Army Community Hospital. She was a member of New Bethel Seventh Day Adventist Church where she served as a Sunday school Teacher, Usher and with the Devotion Ministry. She was a member of the Chi Eta Phi Sorority and the International Benevolent Society. She was preceded in death by her husband, James C. Dawkins, a daughter, Anita, and four sisters.

Survivors include: a son, James J. Dawkins; a daughter, Tamra Dawkins Walker (Darryl); a stepson, Marco Wilson; a brother, Willis Brown, Jr.; two god-children, Minister Rebecca Claiborn and Hugh Kendrick; a host of in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and friends.