August 5, 1928 – August 2, 2024
Funeral services celebrating the life of Burl Hanson (Hank) Hathorn will be held at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, August 6, 2024, at Calvary Baptist Church Alexandria with Reverend Todd Strain officiating.
Visitation will be at Hixson Brothers Funeral Home, Alexandria on Monday, August 5, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and will resume on Tuesday, at Calvary, from 9:00 a.m. until the time of service. Burial will be at Greenwood Memorial Park under the direction of Hixson Brothers, Alexandria.
Mr. Hathorn, 95, of Alexandria passed away on August 2, 2024, at Brookdale Senior Living.
Hank Hathorn was the devoted and beloved husband of Dorothy L. Hathorn for 72 years and with her raised four children.
Living in the Poland community, Hank was raised during the depths of the Great Depression. The youngest son of seven children, his childhood consisted of fieldwork and school, usually in that order. Those early years were a strong influence in his life and from them, he learned the value of hard work, doing your best, and having a strong faith in God.
Hank attended LSU Baton Rouge by working on the campus dairy farm; a year later he enlisted in the Army, serving two years and achieving the rank of sergeant. After military service, he entered the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science where he was the valedictorian of his class.
In 1950, he married the love of his life, Dorothy, and after a second stint in the Army Reserves at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, they came back to Alexandria where he served as a mortician and funeral director at Hixson Brothers Funeral Home for 39 years. Coming from his country background, Hank became a valued member of the funeral profession as he was able to relate to people from all walks of life.
He often said: “A good funeral director does not just arrange a funeral; he should be a minister to the family and walk with them through their most trying time.” Hank Hathorn was in every sense of the word a “minister”. He gently guided and consoled hundreds of families through their darkest days becoming a spiritual counselor and friend to all he served.
Hank also had a passion for teaching. He spoke to civic and church groups about his profession and for many years served as a guest speaker on “Death and Dying” for sociology classes at Louisiana College.
Always active in church, Hank and Dot were long time members of Emmanuel Baptist and Calvary Baptist Churches. He was a deacon, served with the Levites and participated in the Home Care Program. At Calvary, Hank was a well-known church greeter who welcomed everyone with a hearty “Good Morning!”
A vital part of the community, Hank was a member and past president of the Downtown Lions Club when they sponsored the Lions Club Rodeos on MacArthur Drive. He also supported the Salvation Army, serving on its board of directors.
Hank was a sportsman who loved squirrel hunting in Latanier and duck hunting on Saline Lake. An expert duck caller, he won first place in the Rapides Wildlife Association’s annual duck-calling contest in 1966. During retirement, fishing became an even bigger part of his life as he and Dot hosted family and friends at their camp on Toledo Bend. A great storyteller, he would tell his grandsons, “Don’t worry about the fish that get away; we can make them as big as we want.” As a husband, father, and grandfather nothing was more important than family. He leaves a legacy of devotion to God and a love of family that is being passed on.
Hank Hathorn was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy L. Hathorn; his parents, James Madison Hathorn, Sr. and Sarah Williford Hathorn; brothers, James M. Hathorn, Jr., Donald J. Hathorn, Jr., Dr. Fred Hathorn, Roane E. Hathorn, and sister, Rettie Hathorn Lincecum.
Those left to cherish his memory include his children, Dr. Thomas (Mary) Hathorn of Pineville, Dr. Kathy (Scott) Barclay of Melbourne, FL; Janet (Mark) Bryant of College Station, TX; Greg (Samantha) Hathorn of Huntsville, AL; Eleven grandchildren and Fifteen great-grandchildren; sister, Vivian Chelette of Arlington, TX; numerous nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers are Chris Hathorn, Mike Hathorn, Benjamin Wood, Jonathon Hathorn, Jeffrey Hathorn, Scott Barclay, Mark Bryant and Thomas R. Zabasky.
Honorary Pallbearers are Ed Hixson, Donald Lightfoot, Leslie Lightfoot, Julian Perry, and Bruce Robinson.
The family would like to thank the staff at Brookdale Senior Living and Compassionate Care Hospice for their loving care and support.