Martha Stainback "Marty" Hawksworth

HAWKSWORTH, Martha Stainback "Marty," age 66, passed away on December 9, 2009, at home in Deltaville, Va., after almost a year- long fight with cancer. Marty was born on September 4, 1943, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to the late John Howard Stainback and the late Mary Richmond Stainback. Marty is survived by her brother, John Howard Stainback Jr.; and sister, Sara Tuffs, both of Mebine, N.C.; her husband of 44 years, Tom T. Hawksworth II; her daughter, Carolyn H. McGuire, her husband, Stacy McGuire and their children, Staisa, Josh, Sarah, Matthew and Daniel of Franklin, Tenn.; her daughter, Elizabeth M. H. Azevedo, her husband, Reverend Dale Azevedo and their children, Jesse and Seth of Middlefield, Conn.; her daughter, Kathryn H. Black, her husband, Brian Black and their children, Riley and Dariuz of Broken Arrow, Okla.; her daughter, Dr. Martha L. Hawksworth of Southwick, Mass. Marty graduated from Ridgewood, N.J., High School in 1961 and from the Medical College of Virginia, School of Nursing in 1965. On August 14, 1965, she was married to Tom T. Hawksworth II in Saint Theresa Catholic Church in Gloucester, Va. She and her husband moved many times throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Marty gave up her nursing career to raise their four daughters. She was very involved with their education and their wide variety of after school activities. Throughout all the family relocations, Marty always met her daughters at home when they returned from school each day to listen to them, to encourage them and to help them. In February 1997, Marty and Tom moved back to the family home on Stove Point in Deltaville. Marty started Hawksnest Crafts, a needlework and embroidering business that showcased her love and creativity in many of the needlework crafts. She showed her works at many events in the local area. She became very involved in the community with her volunteer work. She served on the Board of Directors and as President of the Friends of the Deltaville Library. She worked the Red Cross blood drives in Deltaville. She served on the Board of Directors, of the Deltaville Community Association, and was a member of the USCG Auxiliary Flotilla 62 in Deltaville. She served on the Board of Directors of the Deltaville Maritime Museum and Holly Point Nature Park when it started up. She worked at the Holly Point Nature Park as one of the original "Gardenerds," dedicated to improving and caring for the nature park. Because of her love of plants and flowers, she became a Master Gardener and used this knowledge to improve the park. On September 12, 2009, the park's new greenhouse was dedicated to Marty for all her efforts. Marty was very involved with The Church Of The Visitation, the Roman Catholic Church in Middlesex County. She served on the Sacristy Committee and as head of the Haiti Twining project from the inception, which worked with Saint Michael parish in Boucan-Carre, Haiti. She was especially interested in projects that supported the children of Boucan-Carre. Marty lived her life by the same qualities that drew her into nursing. She was the most caring, giving, forgiving and loving person in our lives. Marty will be missed very much by her husband, her family and the many friends whose lives she has touched. Visitation will be held at Bristow-Faulkner Funeral Home in Saluda, Va., on Sunday, December 13, 2009, from 4 to 6 p.m. Her funeral Mass will be held at The Church Of The Visitation on Monday, December 14, 2009, at 11 a.m. Interment will take place following mass in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Church Of The Visitation Haiti Twining Project, P.O. Box 38, Topping, Va. 23169 or to Deltaville Maritime Museum and Holly Point Nature Park, for Marty's Greenhouse, at P.O. Box 466, Deltaville, Va. 23043.


This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.