George Edward Hawke

George Edward Hawke, 63, of Towanda, Pennsylvania, died suddenly on Saturday, September 9, 2023. George was born at the Robert Packer Hospital, in Sayre, PA, on February 3, 1960. He was the son of the late Dr. Harry Leroy Hawke and the late Mary Alice Jennings Hawke of Towanda. George was hard-working and very well-liked, with many friends. He grew up in Towanda, PA and he was baptized and confirmed at Christ Episcopal Church, Towanda. He was in the final kindergarten class held in the old Towanda Kindergarten building located on Maple Street. The building was a former horse stable owned by his great-grandfather, Cortez Hicks Jennings, who donated it to the town for public use. It is now the Towanda Public Library’s Carriage House Children’s Library. George was a 1978 graduate of Towanda Area High School, and he was a member of the Track & Field team in his junior and senior years. George attended Penn State University, Hazelton Campus and Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. He began his sports writing career during those years. George wrote for the Mansfield University newspaper, The Flashlight, and he was a DJ for the Mansfield University radio station, WNTE. While at Mansfield, George was a brother of Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity. To pursue his career as a sportswriter, he relocated to southern California, where he began covering golf and other sports, which led to his employment with the Indio Daily News and Golf Digest. His time in the Palm Springs area gave George considerable experience and contacts in the sports world. In 1988, George returned east, and he was hired by The Star Gazette, in Elmira, NY, where he took up residence. He covered both local and national sporting events, and he became a respected leader in his field. He made friends with numerous Nascar drivers and golf professionals in both the PGA and the LPGA. Over the years, he contributed numerous stories to The Daily Review, in Towanda, PA. Subsequently, George was employed by The Leader, in Corning, NY. George won two Associated Press awards for his sports coverage. USA Today newspaper picked up a number of George’s stories, giving him further national coverage. One of his stories was featured on ESPN television network. George also established and published his own newspaper for a period of time. In the intervening years, George was employed in several occupations in New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. George had a special love for animals, especially cats. He also had interests in music, classic cars, and history, but his greatest interest was sports. As a boy, his favorite teams were the Washington Senators in baseball and the Oakland Raiders in football. He greatly admired Senators’ star, Frank Howard, whom George later had the opportunity to meet and interview. Later, he became a follower of the Philadelphia Phillies, as well as Nascar, Penn State Nittany Lions football, and professional golf. George was an avid reader of sports and news, among various other subjects. George is survived by two sons: Michael M. Hawke, of Ithaca, NY, and Steven H. Hawke, of Charlotte, North Carolina. He is also survived by a sister, Nancy H. Bomboy, of Towanda, PA; two brothers, Dr. David B. (Debra) Hawke, of Blythewood, SC, and James L. Hawke, of Longmont, CO; two nieces, Michelle E. (Brian) Knight of Shavertown, PA, and Erin L. (David) Brown of Stevensville, PA, and several cousins. In addition to his parents, George was predeceased by his brother, Paul Jennings Brennan, and his nephew, Adam David Hawke. A funeral service will be held at the Community Alliance Church, 27 Alliance Lane, Towanda, PA, on Saturday, September 30, 2023, at 11:00 a.m., with a dinner to follow. Interment will take place at Oak Hill Cemetery, Towanda, PA. Memorial contributions may be made to the Towanda Public Library, Towanda, PA, and the Bradford County Humane Society, Ulster, PA. Memories and condolences may be expressed by visiting www.bowenfuneralhomes.com.

George Edward Hawke

February 3, 1960 - September 9, 2023

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George Edward Hawke

February 3, 1960 - September 9, 2023

365 Days of Grief Support

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