Dorothy K. Hawthorne (Mihaly) Service Information

Dorothy “Dot” Hawthorne, 82 years old of Richboro, PA, passed away surrounded by her loving family on Saturday, January 20, 2024.

Dot was born in 1941 to the late Louis and Katherine Mihaly (Bentz) in Philadelphia, PA. She is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, Sam Hawthorne; three devoted sons, Mike Hawthorne and his wife Kirstin, Tim Hawthorne and his wife Amy, and Chris Hawthorne and his wife Lorine; sister, Kathy Britt and her husband John; and nine wonderful grandchildren, Owen, Jillian, Brianna, Derek, Charlie, Cassandra, Kyle, Isabella and Alexis.

Dot will always be remembered for her strong love of family; her unwavering dedication to the Phillies; her enjoyment of the beach and casinos; her knack for having too much food and too many snacks; and her determination to make every dog her friend.  She was kind, caring, fun, encouraging, brave, competitive, and stubborn, all in a good way. She was a cancer survivor, a gracious provider, and a fierce protector to anybody who was lucky enough to know her.

Dot was a true story of having a second chapter in her life. She was an amazing wife to Sam and stay-at-home mom to her three boys. But, when she felt they were old enough to take care of themselves, she returned to the workforce as an administrative assistant at Southampton Estates. She progressively learned and worked her way up the corporate ladder and retired as a Senior Benefits Account Manager at Trion Solutions. Dot’s sons’ determination to graduate college and lead successful family lives of their own is undoubtedly a tribute to the model she set.

Regardless of where she was on her own journey, Dot believed in family first and celebrated with them. She spent vacations at the Jersey shore and passed that on to her sons, who spent their childhood vacation days at Wildwood, going to the beach and boardwalk. She hosted and cooked for picnics/barbecues with family and close friends. She cooked Christmas and/or Thanksgiving dinners every year for up to 20 people like a professional. Her three boys continue many of Dot’s traditions in their own holiday dinners. She baked Christmas cookies every year; first, with her mom and sister; then, with her three boys; and, as recently as a few weeks before her passing, with some of her grandkids. She always maintained a close relationship with her sister Kathy, her brother-in-law John Hawthorne and her lifelong friends who became family, through family “birthday dinners,” cruises, and trips to the casinos.

Dot loved sports but was especially fond of baseball, specifically the Phillies. She grew up listening to them on the radio with her father, then instilled a love (sometimes strained) of the Fightin’ Phils in her three boys. When they managed to win their two World Series in 1980 and 2008, everybody called to congratulate her. For many of us, baseball starts and ends with the Phillies, but not Dot. She supported all three of her sons through many years of Little League, often serving as the team scorekeeper, and she was more knowledgeable than most people we know. She would watch any baseball game she could find and she managed a fantasy baseball team with Chris for 25 years, winning the whole league on multiple occasions.

Dot was also known for her love of dogs. All dogs. When she would visit or when we visited her, our dogs always knew she would have treats for them and even which pocket contained her stash. Porky, Maggie, Molly and Toby had the privilege of living their lives in “Doggie Heaven” with Dot. All of her “grand dogs” were more excited to see her than they were to see us, and we understood. There is no doubt that they were all waiting for Dot when she arrived in Heaven.

While Dot held many titles over the years, her favorite was undeniably “wife.” She loved Sam from the day she met him and the twinkle in her eye was obvious when she told stories of when they were dating, watching him play the guitar, and riding next to him in his car. But, tied for a close second, she was a wonderful sister to Kathy; a supportive mother to her three sons and almost every child in the neighborhood; a wonderful grandmom to her nine grandkids; and an amazing aunt to many nieces and nephews, whether related by blood or not.

If you knew Dot, you will undoubtedly feel her absence. You didn’t have to be related to be part of “her family” or “one of her boys.” Most of all, everybody will continue to feel the bond of love that her commitment to family created in all of us.  We are all better for having known Dot and she deserves credit for the positive qualities we possess and strive to exemplify in our lives.

A memorial Service to honor Dot at St. John’s United Methodist Church, on Tuesday, February 20, 2024 where her family will receive relatives and friends from 10:15am until her Service 11:00am at St. John’s United Methodist Church, 820 Almshouse Road, Ivyland, PA 18947, with a lunch reception to follow immediately after the service.

Due to Dot’s love of animals and her gratefulness to the doctors that treated her cancer, in lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation be made to the ASPCA at https://secure.aspca.org/donate/donate or the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Memorial Hospital at https://giving.jefferson.edu/giving-guide/research/skcc.html. 

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