Ralph Andrew Hawley

Ralph Andrew Hawley was born October 10, 1926 and died May 10, 2024. Ralph was the oldest
boy in a household of 7 children. His parents were Ralph Gordon and Arsene Perrault Hawley.
He was born in Stockbridge and spent his childhood and youth in that town, and later, Green
Bay. In their teens, Ralph and his brother Bob began to listen to and collect Jazz records. Ralph
graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a BA in Psychology, and was a proud member
of Phi Beta Kappa.

During WWII, Ralph served as a marksmanship instructor in Hawaii.
When Ralph had an employment agency in Green Bay, a young lady came in looking for a job.
Upon seeing a book by D.H.Lawrence on the desk, the young woman said “at least someone in
Green Bay reads.” This woman would become Ralph’s wife, the one and only Nell Hawley.
Soon after they moved to Madison where in 1955 Ralph was hired by John Bowers at the UW
Medical to be the Business Manager but was immediately put to work shepherding the Alumni
Association instead as his major focus for 34 years. Ralph was the first person at the Medical
School to be named an Associate Dean without a Doctorate in Medicine. Ralph retired in 1989,
freeing up his schedule to poker nights, golf outings, and freedom to collect Jazz records and
poetry books to his heart’s content. Ralph had the delightful ability to recite almost any verse he
had read from memory.

After his retirement, the Medical School created the Ralph Hawley Distinguished Community
Service Award- which is awarded to a UW Medical alumni who had made outstanding
contributions to their community through medical practice, teaching, research, or other
humanitarian activities.

Ralph was a remarkable man and those who knew him will never forget him. He was preceded
in death by his parents, Ralph and Arsene, his siblings Richard, Robert, Yvonne, Beatrice, and
Janice. He is survived by his sister Jeanne Pomeroy and his children Lilita (Andrew) Kenyon,
Randall (Callie) Hawley, Yvonne Bergenske, and Jason (Jeff) Hawley. He is also survived by his
grandchildren Celeste, Rena, John (Val) Kenyon, and Tiffany (David) Brookes.
We would like to thank the staff of Oakwood Village for their care and kind consideration that
they showed Ralph Hawley in his final days.

A memorial will be held at the Monona Terrace in Madison on June 15th from 11AM to 2PM.

Informed Choice Funeral & Cremation Alternatives
3325 E. Washington Ave.
Madison, WI 53704