Sara Norma Hawks (Saddic), age 93, passed peacefully on October 15, 2023 surrounded by her family in San Diego. Sara will be remembered for her generosity, creativity, philanthropic work, sense of humor, knack for storytelling, and her everlasting love for her family. Sara was always the life of the party and the glue that held her family together—and the stories she would recount of her lifetime will remain legendary to anyone who knew her.
Sara’s Story
Born on January 18, 1930 in Philadelphia to Haleem and Philomena Saddic, Sara was the second youngest of seven sisters and two brothers. Thinking back on her childhood, Sara would speak fondly of the bonds she shared with her siblings, and the mischief they occasionally caused. This included sneaking out past curfew without alerting her parents—and even borrowing (without asking) and accidentally ruining the prize new coat and shoes of her older sister who happened to share her size. She relished growing up in the predominantly Italian neighborhood of South Philadelphia, adopting many Italian slang words into her own vernacular, customs, and recipes—combining those with her Lebanese upbringing and customs. It was clear that she appreciated her tight knit family—and she loved and valued her family more than anything. She would stay extremely close with her siblings throughout her lifetime, often talking, visiting, and reminiscing with them (and continuing to cause mischief).
However, the story of Sara's childhood and adolescence would not be complete without mentioning when she met the love of her life, Jack Hawks, at age 17. She was set up on a blind date on Easter Sunday, with Jack meant to identify her by the easter lily she was carrying. They saw one another, and the rest is history. Though soon after meeting, Jack would be deployed in the Navy on a peacekeeping mission following WWII for several months. He and Sara kept in touch through frequent letters, falling more and more in love. They were married in Philadelphia a few months after he returned from deployment.
After a brief time living in San Diego (where they vowed to move back one day), Jack and Sara would start their family in Philadelphia. They had two daughters, Deborah and Donna, and lived down the street from the home where Sara grew up. But Jack's role in the Navy meant that they would move around frequently over the next 15-20 years. They lived in Rhode Island, Boston, South Carolina, and Cuba, where they were evacuated during the Cuban Missile Crisis. When Jack was deployed (and during summers and holidays), Sara always returned to Philadelphia to spend time with her family. The last place the Navy took Jack and Sara was San Diego, where Jack would retire from military service. They settled in San Diego, living there since the mid-1960s and achieving their dream of buying a pastel-colored house.
As Sara’s two children grew older and had children of their own, Sara easily stepped into the role of grandmother (or titto/titu as her grandchildren would call her—the Arabic word for grandmother). Sara was the permanent babysitter, ready to spend time with her grandchildren as much as possible. She was at every graduation, sports game, recital, or other important moment in her grandchildren’s life. She was always a listening ear—and someone who would give her grandchildren fantastic advice (whether that advice was requested or not).
While Sara was a devoted mother, wife, titto/titu, and family-member, she was also committed to giving back to her community. For example, while in Cuba, Sara was a Sunday school teacher and Girl Scout leader. But the work she loved the most was with veterans. She was on the board of the VA Hospital in La Jolla for many years. In fact, there was a picture of Sara on the wall by the entrance to the VA hospital throughout her term as board member. When Jack would walk in for his treatments, he would often stop and kiss her picture. In addition to the VA Hospital, Sara was one of the founders of Stand Down (which provided outreach and support to homeless veterans) and helped start Veterans Village for Vietnam veterans. As the head of the women’s auxiliary of the VFW, she traveled throughout California, working with veterans’ support groups and advocating for reform with state and federal legislators.
Recently, in the summer of 2023, Sara was able to gather with her immediate family and celebrate her and Jack’s 75th wedding anniversary. It was a time to celebrate the incredible, unwavering love that Sara and Jack had for one another—and the love that their family had for them.
While we will miss Sara’s presence in our lives every day, we are comforted by the fact that her lessons, her love, her generosity, and her stories will remain with us.
A funeral service for Sara will be held Wednesday, November 1, 2023 from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM at St. Anthony the Great Antiochian Orthodox Church, 2825 Merton Ave, San Diego, CA 92111. Following the funeral service will be a graveside service from 1:15 PM to 1:45 PM at Miramar National Cemetery, 5795 Nobel Dr, San Diego, CA 92122. The arrival time for Miramar is 12:45PM to proceed to pavillion services.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Veterans Village of San Diego.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.sorrentovalleychapel.com for the Hawks family.
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