David Lee Hawley of Naples, FL, 77, passed away after a lengthy illness on November 3, 2018 at Avow Hospice in Naples.
He was born in Jamestown, NY to Harriett and Edward Hawley and moved to Watertown, NY when he was ten years old. Dave graduated from Watertown High School and earned his B.A. from Colgate University. While at Colgate, he was a member of both the hockey and lacrosse teams as well as the Air Force ROTC. Upon graduation he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force.
Dave earned a scholarship for an innovative PhD program at the University of Rochester but went on active duty with the USAF before completing his dissertation. He received a master’s degree from the University of Rochester in 1965. His first assignment with the Air Force was the United States Air Force Academy Prep School where he taught English and started a lacrosse team. From the Academy, he went to Vietnam for a year and served in a variety of places in the United States. In 1979, Dave was assigned to the US State Department’s language school for nine months to learn Arabic, preparing for the next year in Yemen. During the rest of his 20-year career, Dave spent many months in the Middle East. He retired from the US Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Upon retirement, Dave worked for ManTech International in Northern Virginia for a few years and then, he and his wife, Suzy, moved to Naples, FL where they have lived since 1990. An avid fisherman, Dave spent long hours with family and friends on his boat, The Other. He enjoyed the dream job of many retirees, working at the Wiggins Pass Marina for many years until it closed its doors. For several years after, he was a volunteer at the Conservancy of SW Florida as a dock master first and then, he was instrumental in setting up teams to make sure each of the electric boats was in working order. During his Naples years, he also volunteered for Habitat of the Humanities and the Red Cross.
Dave is survived by his wife of 54 years, Suzy, son Peter (Christina) of New York, NY and Sea Girt, NJ, and son Mark of Naples, FL as well as brothers-in-law and many nieces and nephews.
Dave spent his young summers as well as summers in his later years at Henderson Harbor, NY with his close friends, the Ontario Lakers. A memorial service will be held at Henderson Harbor on Lake Ontario in the summer of 2019. Details will be finalized in the coming months.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to Avow Frances Georgeson Hospice House,1095b Whippoorwill Ln, Naples, FL 34105 or your favorite charity