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Mary Gulick Hawke died January 20, 2017, at Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport, following a brief illness. She was 89.
Born in 1927 in Lamington, New Jersey, Ms. Hawke was raised on a farm in nearby Oldwick. In her early years she emerged as a precocious student and was soon skipping grades. She placed as a finalist in the New Jersey State spelling bee prior to graduation from the Northfield-Mount Hermon School, after receiving a scholarship. Although that marked the end of her formal education, she remained an avid reader with an inquisitive spirit and was self-educated on a broad range of subjects.
She met her husband, Joel D. Hawke, at the young age of 14. Three years later, during World War II, they were wed, an occasion which marked the beginning of a prosperous 55-year marriage. In the late 1950s, the couple moved to Southampton and took over Strong Oil Co. in Water Mill. Ms. Hawke stayed busy as a homemaker, raising five children, yet always found time to be active in local community activities including the Water Mill Community Club. She was a dedicated member of the First Presbyterian Church of Southampton, and was active in the women’s association. In her later years, her dedication and faith led her to serve in a leadership role as a church elder. Over the last 35 years she divided her time between Southampton and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Survivors said she was a vivacious lady with a ready bright smile who took a keen interest in each person she met.
She is survived by a brother, Donald Gulick of Florida; her children, Susan Buchinski and husband Ron of Hampton Bays and Palm Beach Gardens, David Hawke and wife Sally of Water Mill, Mary Hawke and husband Bill Massey of Alabama, Nancy Hawke and husband Christian Hernandez of Southampton; grandchildren, Kristen Edson and Karla Brantuk of Southampton, and Julia Stiegler and Billy Massey of Alabama; and six great-grandchildren, Hawke, Sloane, Oliver, Cole, Peyton and Reese, all of whom brought great joy to her later years. She was predeceased by her husband, Joel D. Hawke; and a son, Joel D. Hawke II.
A funeral service was held January 23 at the First Presbyterian Church of Southampton, followed by a private burial in Flemington, New Jersey, where she was laid to rest alongside her husband and son.
A memorial service is planned for February 4 in Palm Beach Gardens.
Memorial donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Southampton, 2 South Main Street, Southampton, NY 11968, or to a charity of your choice.
on Jan 30, 2017