Ralph Andrew Hawley

Ralph Andrew Hawley

Ocotber 10, 1926 - May 10, 2024

MADISON - Ralph Hawley was born in Stockbridge Wisconsin to Ralph Gordon and Arsene Perrault Hawley. The eldest boy in a household of 7 children, Ralph spent most of his childhood and youth in Stockbridge, and later, Green Bay. In their teens, Ralph and his brother Bob began to listen to and collect jazz records. Ralph graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a BA in Psychology, and was a proud member of Phi Beta Kappa.

During WWII, Ralph served as a shooting instructor in Hawaii.

When Ralph had an employment agency in Green Bay, a young lady came in looking for a job. Seeing a book by D. H.Lawrence on the desk, the young woman said "at least somebody in Green Bay reads". This woman would become Ralph's wife, Nell Hawley.

Soon after, the moved to Madison, where in 1955 Ralph was hired by John Bowers at the UW Medical School to be Business Manager but was immediately put to work shepherding the Alumni Association as his major focus for 34 yeas.

Ralph was the first person to be named an Associate Dean without a degree in Medicine.

Ralph retired in 1989, freeing up his schedule for poker, golf and the freedom to collect jazz records and poetry books. Ralph had the delightful ability to recite verse he had read from memory.

After his retirement, the Medical School created the Ralph Hawley Distinguished Community Service Award, awarded to a UW Medical alumnus who had made outstanding contributions to their community through medical practice, teaching, research or other humanitarian activities.

Ralph was a remarkable man and those who knew him will never forget him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Arsene, his wife Nell, his siblings Richard, Robert, Yvonne, Beatrice and Janice. He is survived by his sister, Jeanne Pomeroy and his children Lilita (Andrew) Kenyon, Randall(Callie) Hawley, Yvonne Bergenske and Jason (Jeff)Hawley. He is also survived by his grandchildren Celeste Bergenske, Rena Langreder, John Kenyon, James (Val) Kenyon and Tiffany (David) Brookes.

We would like to thank the staff of Oakwood Village for their care and kind consideration that they showed Ralph in his final days.

A memorial service was held at the Monona Terrace in Madison on June 15.