Flora Pena Colon

Born September 15, 1916 in Puerto Plata, the Dominican Republic, she moved from Santo Domingo to Copiague in 1957; she had lived previously in Bogotá, Colombia and Miami, Florida. She was a registered nurse, having earned her degree at the International Hospital School of Nursing in Santo Domingo and studied hospital administration at Bethany Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri. In the United States, she spent the better part of her career at Lakeside General Hospital, Copiague, where she had been a Director of Nursing.

Flora was a born-again Christian who supported various Evangelical missions in the U.S. and the Dominican Republic. She was a registered member of the Republican Party since becoming a U.S. citizen in 1967.

Flora, who loved life, is survived by two devoted daughters, Amalia Gisela Peña and Mary Colón Sosnicki, and adoring nieces and nephews – almost too many to count, including Carlos Demorizi Hawkins of Santo Domingo, Samuel Demorizi Hawkins of Port St. Lucie, Florida, and William Hawkins, of Flushing, New York, and their children, grandchildren and great-grand children.

She was preceded in death by both of her former husbands, Gustavo Peña Corniel and Miguel Angel Colón, and all of her brothers and sisters, Phoebe Hawkins Demorizi, Ricardo Hawkins, Eva Hawkins, Maria Hawkins Suero, Alfredo Hawkins and Olga Hawkins.

Family and friends will gather at D'Andrea Brothers Funeral Home on Wednesday, November 30, from 2 to 4:30 pm and 7 to 9:30 pm, at 99 Oak Street, Copiague, New York (631-691-5700). On Thursday, December 1, a funeral service will be held at 11 am at First Baptist Church, 300 West Main Street, Babylon, New York (631-422-0754) and followed by a private burial.

As an alternative to flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Bible Society (www.americanbible.org -- 866 895 4448) or Feed the Children Fund (www.feedthechildren.org -- 800 627 4556).