Bruce G. Hawthorn
Bruce G. Hawthorn went home to with his Lord and Savior on June 8, 2017 at Cadia Rehab with his son by his side.
Born in Trenton, NJ in 1932 to Charles T. Hawthorn and Florence Griscom, he graduated from Princeton University with a degree in chemical engineering in 1954.
He was employed by Sun Oil (Sunoco) for 38 years until his retirement in 1990. While with Sun he was a manager of their refineries in Tulsa, OK, and Puerto Rico, and was president of Puerto Rico Sun Oil Company where he lived and worked for 15 years.
Bruce married Margaret Shull of Folcroft, PA in 1955, who predeceased him in 2011 after 56 years of marriage. In 1959 their son, Dave, was born in Chester, PA.
While in Puerto Rico, Bruce initiated the tennis program and coached at the local private high school. He also served as the volunteer Tennis Commissioner of the Puerto Rico Private High School Athletic Alliance. After retirement, he served on the board of directors of Prison Outreach of Delaware for 11 years, and also as a trustee of the Brandywine Baptist Church where he was a member since his retirement. Bruce also enjoyed taking classes at the Academy of Lifelong Learning.
During their time in Puerto Rico, he and Margaret and Dave vacationed in many Caribbean, Central and South American countries. In addition to traveling, his hobbies included tennis, catching tropical fish (in Puerto Rico), collecting baseball cards and player autographs, and playing card and board games with his wife and son. He was an avid Phillies and Blue Rocks fan.
He was a wonderful, kind and humble man whose favorite bible verse was, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Bruce is survived by his son, Dave. They enjoyed many activities together, including all the hobbies mentioned above.
A Memorial Service will be held at 7:00 pm on Tuesday June 27th at the McCrery & Harra Funeral Home, 3924 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803, where friends are invited to greet Dave from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. Burial will take place privately.
In lieu of flowers, Dave suggests donations be made to Brandywine Valley Baptist Church, 7 Mt. Lebanon Rd., Wilmington, DE 19803.