Joan Thursfield Hawks

JOAN THURSFIELD HAWKS (June 26, 1938-September 27, 2014) With her family by her side, Joan Hawks ended her battle with lung cancer on September 27, 2014. She tackled cancer the way she did everything in her life, with grace, dignity, and with determination to do things her way. She was active until the end, meeting her best friends for lunch at Harry and Izzy's, going to Sahm's for dinner with John, and enjoying her family at "Sunday Dinner" each week. She was a wonderful wife, sister, mother, grandmother, and "GG", and she will be missed by us all. Joan was born in New Rochelle, New York to Richard Emmons Thursfield and Alvera Lydia (Scott) Thursfield. Her mother died when she was an infant, and she was raised by her paternal and maternal grandparents until her father married Alice (Hedges) Thursfield in 1942. Joan was raised in Baltimore, Maryland and Rochester, New York before moving to Terre Haute, Indiana the summer before her senior year in high school, when her father was named Dean of Indiana State University. She graduated in 1956 from Honey Creek High School (now Terre Haute South Vigo High School). She went on to Indiana University, where she became a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She made many lifelong friendships through Theta, many of which continue today. She also met the love of her life, John Hawks, through a blind date. John and Joan dated "long distance" (John was attending Wabash College). Joan graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science in Education and from Butler University with a Master of Science in Education. Joan and John were married June 11, 1960 in Terre Haute. They moved to Indianapolis, where each began their careers—John with American Fletcher National Bank and Joan with the MSD Lawrence Township. She was an elementary school teacher in Lawrence Township (mostly fourth grade) at Indian Creek Elementary School, Mary Castle Elementary School, and Skiles Test Elementary School. Joan was one of the founding educators of the Lawrence Township Project Stretch Program, leading that program for two years and teaching fourth grade Project Stretch classes for five years. Upon her retirement, she was a real estate agent, first with FC Tucker then with Coldwell Banker. During this time, she served as President of the Ivy Hills Residents Association. Joan also was active in her kids' sports and music activities, coaching girls' softball for many years at Allisonville Little League. Two of her All Star teams went to the Indiana State Little League Championships. After retiring, Joan and John enjoyed golfing, partying with their Plum Creek Village friends, and spending winters in Naples, FL. Joan was active in the Kappa Alpha Theta Indianapolis Alumnae Chapter and its bridge groups, Conner Prairie Alliance, (working at the Apple Store), and Northminster Presbyterian Church, where she was a Deacon and participated in the School 55 project, where she used her gift of teaching to tutor fourth grade students. Joan loved being a Grandma, attending every sporting event and musical performance of Matt and AJ's. Joan was "Grandma" to all of Matt and AJ's friends, and she adored her new great-granddaughter. She is survived by her husband, John S. Hawks, daughter, Virginia (Ginny) Hawks Campbell, son, John Scott Hawks, grandsons, Matthew Hawks Campbell and Andrew John (AJ) Campbell, great-granddaughter, Cecilia Anne Campbell-Miller. She is also survived by her brother, Fred F. Thursfield (Garland). Joan was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved sister Janet T. Walters. Friends and family may visit from 3-7 pm on Thursday, October 2, 2014 in the Gathering Space at Northminster Presbyterian Church, 1660 Kessler Boulevard East Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46220. The Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, October 3, 2014, also at the Church. Memorial contributions may be made to the Church (for the Deacons' School 55 Project), the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation Friendship Fund, 8740 Founders Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268, or Conner Prairie Museum, 13400 Allisonville Road, Fishers, IN, 46038. The family would like to thank Drs. Rouch and Liebross and Vicki Crider for their tender care; the wonderful team at Senior One Care, especially Nancy Hanley and Annie Lacy; and Sister Cathy at St. Vincent Hospice. All of these angels made it possible for Mom to be at home at the end of her illness, and for that the family is eternally grateful.