Florence C. Hatton

Florence C. Hatton (Florence) was born on August 15, 1933, in Hillside, NJ to Florence

and Larry Lillie, the youngest of their three children (Larry, Thelma), during the Great

Depression, which profoundly affected her life. She grew up in Hillside, New Jersey,

where their family ran a chair business. Florence followed in their crafty footsteps with

her love of sewing, making incredible quilts, and embroidering pillowcases, and

household objects throughout her life. She attended secretarial school in New Jersey

after graduating from high school in 1951. Always the overachiever, Florence could type

88 words per minute on a manual typewriter. This served her well as she spent much of

her 20s working as a secretary. Florence and a friend had traveled by train from New

Jersey to Los Angeles to see the country and to compete on the Art Linkletter Show.

Her secretarial background came in handy on the show and she won a mink coat by

successfully spelling the word "therapeutic."

Florence married Walter Hatton, a merchant sailor from Staton Island, NY (1933-2022)

at St. Vincent de Paul church in Stirling, NJ, on November 8, 1958. Later they moved to

Connecticut, where they had their four sons Robert (Bob), Michael (Mike), James (Jim),

and Joseph (Joe). The family developed a small farm in Connecticut and in 1974

purchased Little Cove Farm near Troy, in Gilmer County, WV. Florence stayed busy

raising the boys and running the farm while Walter was frequently away working as a

merchant sailor. In 1981, Florence decided to pursue higher education and obtained a

B.A. in Social Work from Glenville State College. She then attended West Virginia

University through their distance learning program, eventually obtaining an M.A. in

Social Work and an M. Ed in Administration, which she used during her 30-year career

in social work in the Weston and Glenville communities.

Florence is best remembered as an incredible mother and grandmother. After becoming

a grandmother in 1993, Florence devoted countless hours to her grandchildren, Mariah,

Jennifer and Nicole (from Joe and Deb Hatton) and Emily and Nicholas (From Jim and

Kelly Hatton). Florence created intricate quilts for each of her grandchildren. Florence

and Walter often drove from West Virginia to Colorado to see the country and bring their

grandchildren together. Together they explored National Parks, presidential museums,

and other incredible American landmarks. In 2008 Florence and Walter celebrated their

fiftieth anniversary in Yellowstone National Park with their entire family. They were

married for nearly 64 years, until Walter's passing in 2022. Florence spent the last years

of her life in Morgantown with her son Joe and his family, who lovingly cared for her until

her death on December 25, 2025, at the age of 92.

Many people assisted and cared for Florence as she aged. The family as deeply

appreciative.

Florence was preceded in death by her parents, Larry and Florence, siblings, Thelma

and Larry, and husband, Walter. She is survived by her sons Bob of Georgetown, KY;

Mike (m. Diane) of Sugarland, TX; Jim (m. Kelly) of Denver, CO; Joe (m. Deborah) of

Morgantown, WV; and her grandchildren Mariah Hatton of Morgantown, WV; Jennifer

Hatton of Morgantown, WV; Emily Hatton McGlinchey (m. Connor McGlinchey) of

Denver, CO; Nicholas Hatton (m. Lilly) of Cheyenne, WY; and Nicole Hatton (e. BJ

Warner) of Asheville, NC.

Services will be at Hardman's Funeral Home, Weston WV. Friends will be received from

10:00 AM to 11:00 AM on January 3, 2026, with service at 11:00 AM. Burial will be at

the Troy IOOF Cemetery immediately after the service. Friends will be received at

Lewis County Senior Citizen Center, 171 W 2 nd Street in Weston, from 3:00 to 5:00 for

fellowship. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Troy IOOF Cemetery c/o

Calhoun County Bank, 904 North Lewis Street, Glenville, WV 26351.Online condolences

and life stories may be expressedf at hardmanfamilyfuneralhome.com.

Hardman Family Funeral Home of Weston considers it an honor and a privilege to

serve the family of Florence C. Hatton.