JOHN W. HAWLEY
A Memorial Service for John W. Hawley will be held on Friday, May 27, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at the Republican City Methodist Church in Republican City, Nebraska, with Pastor Seong Lee officiating. Please join us to honor a life well lived. Inurnment will follow at the Republican City Cemetery, near the resting-place of five generations of relatives. Military Honors will be provided by the Alma American Legion, Fay Cady Post #118, in conjunction with the Navy Funeral Honors Team.
John Woods Hawley was born the second of four sons, to Chester Carl Hawley and Gladys Flora (Woods) Hawley on June 6, 1925, in Republican City, Nebraska. He peacefully departed this life at 3:16 AM, January 5, 2022, in Alma Nebraska, at the Colonial Villa-Good Samaritan Society nursing home.
He accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in 1937, and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in Republican City. He transferred his membership to the First United Methodist Church in Santa Ana, California in 1959, and served on numerous boards and committees for over 40 years, holding the chairmanship on many of them.
John attended school in Republican City, with the class of 1943, however he was able to graduate in December of 1942. He then moved into his brother’s dorm room at Midland College, after his brother was called into service. He studied one semester before joining the Navy in May of 1943. He was assigned to the V-12 Unit and studied Aeronautical Engineering for seven semesters at Kansas University. At Midland and KU, he earned varsity letters in track. He was commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy in November 1945, and served at NAS Kahului, Territory of Hawaii, before returning to inactive duty in August 1946. He taught high school and coached at Republican City for one year, then returned to KU and graduated with a BS in Aeronautical Engineering in 1948. He returned to active duty in October 1950 during the Korean War, serving on Admiral’s staffs at NAS San Diego and Barbers Point HI. Again, returning to inactive duty in December 1951, he eventually was discharged as a Lieutenant in the Navy Reserve in 1956. He obtained a Commercial Pilot’s License in 1950.
On October 27, 1951, John was united in marriage to Elizabeth Eleanor Skene at Submarine Base Chapel in Pearl Harbor. To this marriage three children were born: Brice Carl in 1952, Leslie in 1954, and Mary Catherine in 1961. This union lasted 42 years. The family resided in Santa Ana, where the children were raised, and all participated in a variety of activities. Many close family friends were made during the 40 years residing there.
John loved the mountains, especially the California High Sierras and enjoyed backpacking for nearly 40 years. His three children backpacked with him many times, and two of them accompanied him to the top of Mt. Whitney. He bagged 14 peaks of over 11,000 feet and often said he felt close to God while sitting at the very top of a high mountain.
