Mary Elizabeth Hill Hawpe began her journey of nearly 10 decades on earth on March 10, 1925, in Marianna, Arkansas, when she was welcomed to this world by her adoring parents Ora Belle Allen Hill and Bruce Hill. Mary would prove herself to be a woman of the times, gracefully, but determinedly navigating a rapidly changing world.
In 1942, after graduating from high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, Mary joined thousands of young women flooding the workforce and began her life long career with ATT. She was hired as a switchboard operator in Little Rock, and in 1986, retired as Secretary to the District Engineer in Fort Worth. Mary took great pride in her work. She was a natural leader, elected by her colleagues as President of the Fort Worth Council of Telephone Pioneers. But it was the lasting friendships forged that Mary, known as Hoppie at work, would say was the greatest gift of her career. Those friendships would nurture and sustain her, especially the tight bond she shared with Huffy, Ruth and Janice.
Mary was a self-described tomboy, who loved to zip across rivers and lakes on a pair water skies and compete in tournaments with her bowling team. She was famous for her fast-paced walking, leaving others jogging to keep up. But the two hobbies she was most passionate about were yard work and shopping. Indeed, at 96 years young, she was still mowing and weeding her yard, and planning her wardrobe. The yard work was a natural. Mary loved to be outside, and she loved pretty plants, especially roses and gardenias. The shopping also came naturally, and she was always elegantly dressed. She joyfully spent almost every Saturday shopping with her beloved Mother until her death in 1985. Shopping fueled Mary's love for style and bargains, and she used her work lunch hours to walk to Leonard’s Department Store in downtown Fort Worth . As Mary said, she didn't always need to buy something, looking was also a big part of the fun.
In 1961, Mary met John Hawpe, a handsome young widower with two boys. When Mary joined the family, her cooking skills were not yet up to par. She often told the story of her first failed attempt at making Thanksgiving dressing, which nonetheless, John and the boys gamely ate. She quickly mastered cooking, often riding a bus home to cook dinner, before returning by bus to finish a split shift at work. Mary and John were married 24 years until his death in 1986. For the next 35 years, Mary traveled with friends, volunteered at Medical Plaza where she was named Volunteer of the Year, shopped, worked in her yard and spent hours on her Aunt Juanita's back porch in East Texas talking and sharing ice cream.
Fiercely independent, Mary lived her life on her terms, loved her family and friends and inspired those lucky enough to know her.
Mary was preceded in death by her beloved parents and husband and her good friend, Mary “Huffy” Huffaker.
She is survived by her step sons, Richard and Bill and their families, her aunts, Juanita Luker Perez and Marie Allen Brackin and their families. and her dear friends, Ruth and Craig Swancy.
The family extends its gratitude to Heart to Heart Hospice in Longview for their compassionate care.
Graveside services for Mary will be Thursday, September 23, 2021, at 12:30pm at Laurel Land Memorial Park.
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