Robert E. Hawthorne II

BAY VILLAGE, Ohio — Robert Edward "Bob" Hawthorne II, 69, of Bay Village, Ohio, died late in the evening Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015, in Bay Village.

Mr. Hawthorne was born May 19, 1945, in Springfield, Ill., to Robert E. and Ruth A. (Brauer) Hawthorne. He was the grandson of O. Lawrence (Charlotte E. Bower) Hawthorne, a poet of note and a native of Granville, Ill. He was the great-grandson of W. E. (Emma E. Opper) Hawthorne, publisher of The Granville Echo and founding publisher of the Putnam County Record, of Granville. He was the great-nephew of Edw. E. (Olive S. Wood) Hawthorne of Granville, who succeeded as publisher of the Putnam County Record. He married Patricia M. O'Connor on July 1, 1988, in Ohio.

In 1952, Mr. Hawthorne, his parents, and brother, Ronald J. Hawthorne, moved from Illinois to Bay Village, where his father became Art Director for American Greeting Corporation, and his mother was an elementary school teacher. Until the time of his death, he was still residing in the childhood home in which he had lived most of his life.

Mr. Hawthorne was a 1963 graduate of Bay High School, Bay Village, Ohio, where he lettered in baseball. He graduated from Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio, in 1967, with a BA in Economics. He earned an MBA in Management at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, in 1969. He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha social fraternity, and Tau Pi Phi, a business and economics fraternity.

Mr. Hawthorne was an instructor of Business and Economics for five years at Mattatuck Community College in Waterbury, Conn. He then returned to the Cleveland, Ohio, area and worked at American Greetings Corporation in marketing and dealer relations. He retired from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Cleveland, where he had spent most of his career as Supervisor of the Development Branch.

Mr. Hawthorne was a member of Bay Presbyterian Church in Bay Village. He was a member of the church softball team for over 20 years. An avid sports fan, he enthusiastically supported The Ohio State University Buckeyes and several other teams. In addition to reading, music and computers, he enjoyed travel and attended Hawthorne family reunions in Granville.

Mr. Hawthorne is survived by three aunts, Mrs. Richard L. (Maureen C. Kelly) Hawthorne of Florida, Mrs. Philip D. (Marlys E. Dahle) Hawthorne of Minnesota and Mrs. Ellen June (Hilliar) Schmidt of Florida; numerous cousins; and many friends. Local cousins include Mrs. Kenneth (Helen Marie Hawthorne) Engelbrecht, Mrs. Shirley Mae (Hawthorne) Barnes, Mr. James E. Barnes, Mrs. Trent D. (Priscilla Sue Barnes) Tevis and Mrs. Gerald J. (Heidi J. Engelbrecht) Sobkowiak, all of Granville.

Mr. Hawthorne was preceded in death by his father in 2008, his mother in 1992 and his brother in 1994.

Visitation was held from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, at Jenkins Funeral Chapel, 2914 Dover Center Road, Westlake, Ohio. The funeral service, also held at the chapel, was at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Daniel Edgerly, of Bay Presbyterian Church, officiating. The eulogy was given by Michael Kuper, a friend of Mr. Hawthorne's. Helen Marie (Hawthorne) Engelbrecht, a cousin, gave remarks.

Burial immediately followed the service at Sunset Memorial Park, North Olmstead, Ohio. Pallbearers were David Solliday, Richard Kuper, Michael Kuper, Richard Kuper II, Bruce Shuman, Kevin Doll and Arthur Kuper III. Mrs. Helen Marie Engelbrecht and daughters, Penelope J. Engelbrecht and Heidi J. E. Sobkowiak, were in attendance for the ceremonies in Ohio.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave., New York, NY 10065; or to Bay Presbyterian Church, 25415 Lake Road, Bay Village, OH 44140.