Cover photo for Dean Hawver's Obituary
Dean Hawver Profile Photo
1932 Dean 2021

Dean Hawver

August 19, 1932 — December 11, 2021

William “Dean” Hawver, 89, passed away on December 11, 2021. An educator for life,
Mr. Hawver is mourned by his wife, Susan Hardin Swope Hawver, children Jennifer
Hawver Joyce, Ken Hawver (Carolyn) and family, and Heather Swope, sister Marcia
Weinberg, and nephews Mark and Scott Weinberg and their families. His extended
family also includes the siblings of Mrs. Hawver, Kathleen Hardin List, Kent Hardin
(Donna), Chris Hardin (Tammy), John Hardin (Susie), and their children, all of whom
have known Dean and loved him throughout his 39-year marriage to Susan. Mr. Hawver
is predeceased in death by his parents Kenneth G. and Velma J. Hawver, and brothers-
in-law Jerry Weinberg and Steven Hardin. Also mourning Mr. Hawver are students and
teachers he educated and mentored throughout his 40 years of teaching.
Born in Lima, Ohio, Dean first matriculated to The Ohio State University to begin his
post-secondary education and enjoyed membership in the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
He received Bachelor’s degrees and Master’s Degrees from Ohio State and Kent State
Universities which well-prepared him to begin his teaching career in Euclid, Ohio. After
residing and teaching there for 11 years, Mr. Hawver was recruited by the prestigious
Park School in Indianapolis, accepting a position there in 1967 specializing in various courses  in the Sciences.   Park School and Tudor Hall, a well-known school for girls, merged in 1970, and Dean continued his teaching at Park Tudor School in advanced Science classes. Mr. Hawver
subsequently became Head of the Science Department, a position he held until his
retirement in 1996.  Among other activities, Mr. Hawver led the Key Club and the Golf team throughout his
career. He and his department were instrumental in establishing the Adventures in
Learning day excursions for school children, held in the summers for a number of years.
He also worked closely with the Park Tudor Board as its members explored and
reviewed new curricular philosophies which might benefit the Park Tudor students.
Following his vocation, Mr. Hawver had a love of the natural world and could be found
hunting for gemstones in the hills of the Carolinas, shells and remnants from the ocean
on the beaches of Florida, and crystals and geodes in southern Indiana. He collected
not for the end result but for the joy of refreshing and re-igniting passion for teaching
every day of every year. It became abundantly clear that he was a master at passing on
his love of the Sciences as many of his students took up science-based study in college
and in their career choices. In 2007 Park Tudor was the recipient of a particularly large
donation, outfitting a new Chemistry Lab, named in honor of Mr. Hawver.
At home Dean was a loving husband and father, and though a shy man by nature, he
participated in the school activities of his children as his schedule permitted. Dean
developed techniques in woodworking and refinishing which put him in good stead as a
renovator of antiques when he and his wife Susan opened their antique shop. He quietly
set about building a knowledge base in cloisonné, hand-made and natural beads and
gemstones, spending many hours designing and creating beautiful jewelry as gift items.
As educated and knowledgeable as he was, Mr. Hawver was best known for his
kindness and genuine love of life. He was truly a gentleman, and is so very profoundly
missed.  Funeral services will be at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, December 21, 2021 in the  Hampton-Gentry Funeral Home, Plainfield, where friends may call at the funeral home from  11:30 am until service time at 1:00 pm.  Burial will follow at Maple Hill Cemetery, Plainfield.                                        In lieu of flowers please feel free to make donations in his name to the charity of your
choice. Notes and remembrances can be sent to the family through Hampton Gentry
Funeral Home, 106 Shaw St., Plainfield, IN 46168, or online at www.hamptongentry.com
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Dean Hawver, please visit our flower store.

Guestbook

Visits: 13

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Send Flowers

Send Flowers

Plant A Tree

Plant A Tree