Brian Douglas Hawthorne

Doug Hawthorne, 83, of Simi Valley, CA, passed away on January 4, 2026, after spending one last holiday season surrounded by his loving wife, Cynthia, and many of his eight children, their spouses, and grandchildren.

Long before May 4th became known as “Star Wars Day,” it was simply the day Doug Hawthorne was celebrated for being born. Born Brian Douglas Hawthorne, he didn’t learn that his first name was Brian until he was registered for first grade, when the school principal used it. Confused—since he was the only child in the room—he looked to his mother, Miriam, who confessed the truth. She adored the name Douglas (and the actor Douglas Fairbanks) so much that when Doug’s father, Arthur, was away for work, she and his siblings—Ed, Patty, and Marie—called him “Dougie.” The nickname stuck, and from that point on, he insisted on being called Doug for the rest of his life.

A lifelong and unwavering member of the Christadelphian Ecclesia, Doug shared his faith through teaching classes both in his home state of California and while serving on a mission in El Salvador, helping others incorporate their beliefs into daily life. Describing himself as a “Happy Go Lucky Guy,” his humor and upbeat spirit were evident in every part of his life. He incorporated his love of BlueGrass music throughout his life, most memorably while performing with family and friends at his Christadelphian retreats.

Doug graduated from Downey Union High School in 1959 and attended Long Beach City College before embarking on a winding professional journey. He worked as a Maytag repairman, Co-owned Hawk Refrigeration with his brother Ed, owned his own appliance store and repair business and later retired as the Technical Support National Manager from Fadal Engineering. While he was dedicated to both his faith and his work, his greatest joy was being a family man. He was a devoted husband to Cindy. A loving father to his eight children; Steven, Renee (Michael), Randall (Kelly), Rebekah, David, Jacob (Susan), Carrie (Daniel), and Rachel. He was also a proud grandfather to Corinne, Coral, Penny, Camille, Ivan, Samuel, Dylan, Caramel, McKenzie, Danika, Aidan and great-grandchild James.

A celebration of Doug’s life will be held at 2:00 PM on January 31 at the Simi Hills Christadelphian Ecclesia, 6701 Santa Susanna Road, Simi Valley, CA 93063. An invite only graveside service will take place on January 30. The family welcomes written memories to be included in a Memory Box available at the service and in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Christadelphian Bible Mission of Americas (www.CBMA.net).

A committal service will be held at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park and Mortuary, located at 10621 Victory Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 91606, United States. The service is scheduled for January 30, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 1:30 pm.