HAWKRIDGE, Edith Crouse 98, of Wellesley, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on March 1, 2024. She was born in Staten Island, New York, on July 23, 1925, the eldest daughter of Wellington Shelton Crouse and Gertrude Barton Blunt. She spent her early years in Hershey, Pennsylvania, often riding her horse to school and quite possibly the reason she always had Hershey chocolates in her home. She attended Smith College, graduated from UCLA and worked in New York City as a lab technician working on the development of a polio vaccine. She married Edwin Hawkridge in 1949 and they made their home with their five children in Newton and then Wellesley. She summered in Falmouth, MA and loved a good beach day with feet in the sand, a good book and playing Scrabble. Edith was an active member of the community including the Florence Crittenton Home, Tau Beta (scholarship), the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and Newton Wellesley Hospital Aid among others. She enjoyed many athletic endeavors including tennis, swimming, and horseback riding. In later years, she worked in the real estate industry. She had a love of animals especially horses and dogs particularly Scottish Terriers. She was an avid bridge player throughout her life and developed a love of gin rummy from her father.
Edith was predeceased by her husband (2012) and her sister Cornelia Tichenor. She is survived by her five children Nancy Jacques (Mark) of Bainbridge Island, Washington; L. D. Terry Hawkridge (Kate) of Clinton, NY; Timothy Hawkridge (Molly), of Needham, MA; Winifred Sienkewicz of Assonet, MA and Andrew Hawkridge of Canton, MA. She is also survived by her sister, Nancy Hartman of Moorestown, NJ and several nieces and nephews. She was affectionately known as Gram to her fourteen grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren.
Private burial in Newton Cemetery and there will be a memorial service planned in the spring.