Duane “Red” Hawthorn 1925-2010

HAWTHORN, WAPLES CARROLL

Posted By: Connie J Swearingen (email)
Date: 3/7/2011 at 20:47:10

Mapleton Press
23 December 2010

Duane “Red” Hawthorn, 84

Duane “Red” Hawthorn, 84, a long time power company executive in Sioux City and Minneapolis, Minnesota, died Saturday, December 11, in Sioux City.

Before his retirement, Mr. Hawthorn worked for many years for Iowa Public Service Company and later managed an electric utility cooperative in Minneapolis.

Memorial services will be scheduled at a later date.

Mr. Hawthorn was born December 17, 1925, in Ames, Iowa, the son of Dr. H.B. and Hazel Waples Hawthorn. He lived with his parents in Ames, later in Akron, Ohio and then moved to the family home in Castana, Iowa, where he graduated from Castana High School.

He married Charlotte Carroll of Castana at Grace Methodist Church in Sioux City on October 10, 1944. He enlisted in the United States Navy, and the couple moved first to Idaho and then later to California, while he was in training with the Navy. He later entered World War II, serving with the Navy in the South Pacific. After he was discharged from the Navy following the war, he and Charlotte moved to Ames, where he attended Iowa State University, graduating with a degree in engineering.

The couple then returned to Sioux City, where he began his career with the Iowa Public Service Company, now MidAmerican Energy. Duane built a new home on Bushnell Avenue, when that area was just developing in the mid-1950’s and did much of the construction, utility and finishing work himself.

Mr. Hawthorn was an executive with Iowa Public Service, serving as production manager and manager of energy supply, where he was responsible for both the electric and gas divisions. He was responsible for installing and operating a new control center for the utility. He was active in natural utility associations and was a member of the North American Power System Interconnected Committee and helped develop operation guidelines which are used today. He was regional coordinator of the association and was chairman of the North Central region.

In 1976, Duane was chosen to manage the Mid-Continent Area Power Pool in Minneapolis, where he served until his retirement in 1991. He managed the center’s expansion and oversaw the installation of a new computerized communication network. He also served as the regional director for the Emergency Electric Power Executive Reserve, U.S. Department of Energy, meeting frequently in Washington, D.C., with utility and government executives from across the nation to plan responses to national power emergencies.

At the time of his appointments in Minneapolis, he purchased a home in that city, and he and Charlotte lived in both cities over the next 35 years. Charlotte died in 2008.

Duane was a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Iowa, a member of the Institute of Electric and Electronic Engineers and a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers. He was a member of the Sioux City Engineers Club and the Optimist Club of Sioux City. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge. He also served on the board of his Minneapolis condominium association. He was very active in both industry and community affairs, and was well-known in the community. He was a wonderful father to four girls, and was always involved and interested in their activities.

He is survived by two daughters, Connie Jo Hawthorn of Jacksonville, Florida, and Susan Jane (John) Adams of Virginia Beach, Virginia; a sister-in-law, Dorothy Clark of Westminster, Colorado; two nieces and five nephews; and many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Charlotte; two daughters, Barbara Annette and Paulette Jill; his father and mother, Dr. Horace and Mrs. Hazel (Waples) Hawthorn of Sioux City; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Carl E. Baker and Miriam (Hawthorn) Baker Nye of Moville, Iowa and Dr. Donald and Clarice (Hawthorn) Watson of Eugene, Oregon; his mother-in-law, Emily Carroll of Onawa, Iowa and a brother-in-law, Dr. Donald Clark of Westminster, Colorado.

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