Mark Edward Hawthorne

Mark was a resident of St. Petersburg, Florida and grew up in Largo and Plant City, Florida.
Those who knew him best would tell you—Mark was his own man. He had his ways, his opinions, and his
quiet corners of the world where he felt most at home.
Mark was, by all accounts, a complicated man. He had a sharp wit, a restless mind, and a heart
that, in his own way, cared deeply for the people closest to him.
He was an 8-year veteran of the Army and a lover of animals and nature. He had a natural knack for
creating things, he could take a pile of scraps and old parts and somehow make them come to life.
His imagination showed not through grand gestures but in the quiet satisfaction of making something
work that wasn't supposed to. This trait included his
penchant for 'creative' cooking.
Mark was also an amateur magician. He loved to see a child's face light up when he did his magic.
He was quick with a terrible joke and always ready with a prank—some that made you laugh, others
that made you roll your eyes—but that was Mark: unpredictable, spirited, and determined to make an
impression.
He loved the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, even when it wasn't easy to. He stuck with what he loved,
through thick and thin, whether it was football, family, or one of his many projects.
Mark is survived by his wife, Sandra Hawthorne, of St. Pete; his daughter, Lyla Hawthorne, of St.
Pete; his sons, Dustin Newcomb of St. Pete and Alex Hawthorne of Bradenton; his mother, Glenda
Wilson, and stepfather, Warren Wilson, of Plant City; his sister and brother- in-law, DeeDee and
Brian Mathes, of Plant City; and his brother, John Hawthorne, also of Plant City. He was preceded
in death by his father, Floyd E. Hawthorne, of Plant City.
Mark's story wasn't always easy, but it was real. He was flawed, funny, inventive, and full of
contradictions—just like the rest of us. And in the end, it's that realness -those who loved him
will remember the most.
Because Mark found peace and joy in nurturing living things, plants are preferred in place of cut
flowers.