Hawley M. Richeson

Hawley Richeson, 89, died on May 10, 2015, in El Paso. He was born Oct. 5, 1925 in Fort Collins, Colo. Georgie Ruth Beson of New York, his mother, raised him after his father died in 1930. He graduated from the College of Mines and Metallurgy, now UTEP, with a B.A. degree, majoring in journalism. He was one of the Senior Men of Mines and editor of The Prospector; undergraduate head of the college information and publicity office; president of Alphi Phi Gamma; named one of the top 10 graduates. He was honored in 1983 with the Hicks-Middagh Award as the Outstanding Ex of the Mass Communications Department at UTEP. In the Navy, he spent two years in the South Pacific as part of a Navy Air Evacuation Squadron, helping to bring home the first group of POWs from Japan. When the peace treaty was signed aboard the USS Missouri ending WWII, he was in a Navy plane flying overhead. A public relations dynamo, he helped get mayors elected and was successful as Congressman Richard C. White's Administrative Assistant for more than 10 years. Among his other accomplishments: public relations director for the El Paso Chamber of Commerce, El Paso County Board of Development, Mithoff Advertising and DeBruyn Advertising; Press Club of El Paso president; and one of his favorite tasks was starting a newspaper at the El Paso Job Corps Center. He was preceded in death by his mother; his wife, Margie Irene; his brother, Robert Richeson; and his sister, Frances Loose. Hawley and Margie had four children; Mike "Tates" Richeson, Bebe Sullivan (Dusty), Zelda Ruiz and Stacia Lara (Jorge). He had five grandchildren; Melissa, Michael, Jennifer, Andy, Jake and two great-grandchildren; Ayden and Kai. Private Graveside Services will be held at Fort Bliss National Cemetery. A reception will be at The View at Montecillo, 140 Castellano on Monday, May 18, from 12:00 – 2:00. Services entrusted to sunset Funeral Home-West. Please Visit our online register book at www.sunsetfuneralhomes.net