Grace Etta Hawthorne

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Grace Etta Hawthorne passed away June 21, 2016, in Saratoga Hospital. Daughter of the late Herbert and Etta Moslin, Grace was born Jan. 28, 1918, in Jonesville, N.Y., and later moved to Saratoga Springs. She graduated from Saratoga Springs High School in 1937 and then attended Skidmore College. She was a graduate of Eastman School of Business. She married John W. Hawthorne of Saratoga Springs on Nov. 4, 1950. They were the parents of two children, David and Nancy. A loving wife and mother, Grace volunteered her time and energy to organizations whose missions reflected her interests in faith and community. She was a parishioner of the Bethesda Episcopal Church, where she taught Sunday school and was a member of the Altar Guild. Her husband Jack was a member of the United Methodist Church of Saratoga Springs and she was involved with that church as well. She was a member of Church Women United and also belonged to the Wilton Heritage Society. Girl Scouts in the Saratoga-Schuylerville Area remember Grace’s dedication as a longtime volunteer. For approximately 40 years, she was the Saratoga cookie manager, taking and tallying orders of thousands of boxes of cookies, using pencil and paper, in the days before the process was computerized. She also oversaw the delivery and distribution of truckloads of cookies to the area. She enjoyed attending numerous Girl Scout events, such as Gold Award ceremonies and the annual Jamboree, and willingly shared stories of her experiences as a member of Saratoga Troop 1. For many years Saratoga Area Girl Scouts awarded the Grace Hawthorne Scholarship to college-bound Girl Scouts who had earned the Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve. Grace’s giving, loving spirit was widely present in the community. She volunteered with the Saratoga County Office for the Aging, at the Saratoga Senior Center, and with the Red Cross. She loved flowers, music, and animals, enjoyed doing crossword puzzles, and although not a world traveler loved hearing people share their stories of travels from around the globe. Her husband Jack predeceased her. She is survived by her son David (Tracey) Hawthorne of Saratoga Springs and their two sons, Wesley and Andrew; daughter Nancy (Peter) Fareri of Saratoga Springs; sisters-in-law Doris Hawthorne and Helen Smead of Saratoga Springs and Jane Hawthorne of Stillwater; cousins Gene and Marie Landry of Ballston Lake; and many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. She will be dearly missed by her cat Wilma. The family would like to express deep appreciation to the nurses of the Saratoga Hospital staff of C-3 for the loving care extended to Grace during her final days. Relatives and friends gathered to remember her on Thursday, June 30, at William J. Burke and Sons and Bussing and Cunniff Funeral Homes, 628 North Broadway in Saratoga Springs. A memorial service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, July 2, at Bethesda Episcopal Church, 41 Washington Street, Saratoga Springs. Interment will be at the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to the Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York, 8 Mountain View Ave, Albany, N.Y. 12205, www.gsneny.org; or the Bethesda Episcopal Church, 41 Washington St., Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefuneralhome.com.