Keith A. Hawthorne, 68, sadly passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 16 at his home surrounded by his loved ones after a brief illness.
The field of medicine was a calling from an early age for Keith. When most boys preferred to play cowboys and Indians, he opted for the toy doctor kit his mother had gifted him. That toy was the initial spark to a lifelong career as a physician dedicated to helping others. As a high school student growing up in Maplewood, NJ, he volunteered on the local ambulance squad and then became an EMT. In the 1980s, he began what would be a storied tenure at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ; first working as an EKG technician, and then, upon his graduation from medical school in 1984, completing his internship, residency and fellowship in interventional cardiology. In 1990, he joined New Jersey Cardiology Associates (formerly Diagnostic and Clinical Cardiology, Pennsylvania) where he cared for tens of thousands of patients. His patients extended well beyond the hospital walls and the Essex County community, where he would often volunteer his time and money to underserved populations in El Salvador and Haiti on medical mission trips. He was also a committed educator of medicine, often lending his knowledge, experience and expertise to the next generation of physicians.
While his dedication to patient care was unparalleled, Keith had a zest for life — enjoying both the exotic and simple things. He was an avid scuba diver often traveling to tropical locations to check out the local flora and fauna, an amateur pilot taking to the skies from time to time, a devoted Giants fan, an enthusiastic gardener, lover of all animals both the cuddly and crawly, but most importantly, he was a devoted husband and loving father. Kind-hearted and always giving, he will remain forever in the hearts of his family, friends and colleagues, as well as the countless patients he cared for and treated.
Keith is survived by his loving wife, Sherri (Connolly) Hawthorne and son, James, of Florham Park, NJ; his brother, Kenneth Hawthorne of Toms River, NJ; his nephews, Brian Hawthorne of Round Rock, Texas, and Greg Hawthorne of Toms River, NJ; as well as many close family friends. He was predeceased by his mother, Grace (Corcoran) Hawthorne; his aunt, Anne (Bond); and uncle, John Anderson.
Services will be private and for the immediate family. A remembrance ceremony to honor Keith’s life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his memory to the Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center. Donations in memory of Dr. Keith Hawthorne can be made via credit card by calling the Development Department at 973-322-4330 or by visiting hcbmcgiving.org. Gifts made by checks should be made out to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center and mailed to CBMC Development Department, 95 Old Short Hills Road, West Orange, NJ 07052. Donors should note Dr. Hawthorne’s name well as any acknowledgement details so that we may properly recognize gifts. As requested, all gifts received in Dr. Hawthorne’s memory will be designated to Cardiac Services unless otherwise noted by an individual donor.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Pinkel Funeral Home, 31 Bank Street (Route 23), Sussex. Online condolences may be offered to the family at pinkelfuneralhome.com.