Alfred - Anthony John Hawkins, 86, known to everyone as
Tony, passed away peacefully at Elderwood Nursing Facility in Hornell (April
30, 2018), following a two-month illness. Tony was born to Walter and Mary
(Scoon) Hawkins on July 7, 1931 in Bristol, England, where he grew up an only
child. Little is known about his early
life. From sixteen to nineteen he took
evening classes in math, physics and chemistry at a local technical college. David
Rossington of Alfred met Tony in the early 1950’s at Bristol University where
David was a student and Tony was an apprentice glass blower, learning the
techniques of the trade that would support him the rest of his life. Tony served in the English Army from 1952 -
1954, followed by years as a glassblower at the University of Nottingham,
University of British Columbia (Vancouver) and finally at Alfred University
where Tony was the laboratory glass blower at the College of Ceramics from 1960
to 1983, when he retired. Tony had a
rare ability to fashion molten glass, whether it became a piece of laboratory apparatus
or an intricate animal given to a child or sold at Mary Lou Cartledge’s gift
shop in Alfred. In his youth at Vancouver and Alfred, Tony was an enthusiastic
skier, a pursuit that unfortunately ended when an auto accident damaged his
left knee in 1968. A lifelong bachelor, Tony lived alone at 4960 East Valley
Road, halfway between Alfred Station and Andover, for most of his fifty-eight
years in the Alfred area. Tony loved
movies and classical music, having an encyclopedic knowledge of both. In the years when Juilliard came to Alfred for
summer concerts, Tony rarely missed one.
When computers became popular, Tony quickly became adept, programming a
Wine Grape Glossary still in use on the internet and establishing himself as a
wine expert. He loved food, having a
passion for cookbooks and recipes. For
years he belonged to a group of gourmets who met once a month at a top notch
restaurant for a meal. In later years he
was an enthusiastic member of a bridge club in Hornell. My wife and I (David
and Aurora Palmer) met Tony around 1990 and were close friends for the rest of
his life. I spent many happy hours with
Tony “picking apart” current events, wine, movies and the colorful life of
Richard Feynman, one of our mutual heroes.
Recently Tony and I watched a ten-week series on the life of Einstein at
Tony’s home. He will be greatly missed.
At sometime around 2010 Tony befriended Joan Speca, recently
widowed and making a difficult adjustment to the loss of her husband. He and Joan became constant companions. He saw her through the difficulties of
Alzheimer’s disease, handling her affairs and adopting her dog Sasha until
Joan’s and Sasha’s death.
Since Tony’s passion for food did not include a strong
desire to cook, he ate most meals at the Collegiate Restaurant (fondly
nicknamed the Jet) after coming to Alfred in 1960. There he was on the first stool at the near
end of the counter—three times a day in the early years, twice a day later
on. At some point Tony’s name was placed
on the stool top, where it still stands.
Tony made friends at the Jet—two generations of owners (John Senior and
Angie Ninos, then John-John and Chelly Ninos), Bob Heineman and many
others. For several months before Tony’s
death my wife Aurora and I took him weekly to the Duke House (patterned after
an English Tea House) in Wellsville for Sunday brunch. Tony greatly appreciated its atmosphere, its
tea and the hospitality of Nancy, Ruben and John.
At Tony’s request, there will be no calling hours or formal
services. Friends are invited to attend
a “scattering of ashes” on Saturday, May 19 at 2:00 p.m. at Tony’s home at 4960
East Valley Road, Alfred Station. Please come prepared to share stories and
memories. Funeral arrangements are in care of the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church
Street, Hornell, NY. In lieu of flowers,
friends are asked to consider making a donation in Tony’s memory to any
worthwhile charity.
