Joan L. (Perando) Hawk

Joan Louise Hawk lived a life defined not by ease, but by endurance, generosity, and an unwavering sense of responsibility to others.

Born on September 8, 1938, in Kitzmiller, Maryland—a small coal mining town—Joan learned early what it meant to carry more than her share. At just 11 years old, after her father was killed in a coal mine accident, she stepped into a role far beyond her years. As the oldest of five children, she cared for and helped raise her siblings while her mother worked, forming the foundation of a lifelong commitment to family, hard work, and quiet sacrifice. As the descendant of an Italian immigrant, she carried forward a deep-rooted belief in perseverance and making one’s own way.

That strength and devotion carried into a marriage that would have reached 67 years this September with her beloved husband, William “Bill” Hawk, who turns 95 the same month. Their marriage was not only long, but deeply rooted—built on steadfast loyalty, shared responsibility, and a quiet understanding that endured through every season of life. Together, they created a home that was constant and welcoming, a partnership defined less by words and more by daily acts of care, mutual respect, and unwavering presence. In one another, they found both an anchor and companionship, and their devotion to each other set the foundation for the family that grew around them.

Joan’s home was her domain, and within it she created something special out of the everyday. She was a gifted baker, cook, gardener, pickler, and preserver—skills that were less about craft and more about care and love. No one ever left her house hungry, and few visits were brief. A simple stop-in often turned into an entire evening, as her warmth and persistence made it nearly impossible to say no. Feeding people was how she loved them. And while she could handle just about anything, there was one exception: snakes! Her well-known fear of them sometimes became a source of gentle teasing over the years, though it never stopped her from tending her garden—just with a bit more vigilance and a watchful eye.

Though she came from humble beginnings, Joan never forgot what it meant to struggle—and she never hesitated to help someone else through it. Her generosity was boundless, often putting others’ needs ahead of her own. She gave because it was who she was, not because she had excess to spare.

Joan also gave something less visible but even more enduring to her children: opportunity. A familiar phrase was that each generation should create more opportunities for the next. Joan took immense pride in seeing her oldest son go into the family business, and the opportunity for the others to go to college. To her children, she offered unwavering support and a powerful example, instilling in them the drive to build more, reach further and to open doors that might not have otherwise existed. Her work ethic was constant; she was rarely still, always moving between the kitchen, the garden, and whatever needed tending that day. In that motion, she shaped not only a home, but the people within it.

She was preceded in death by her brothers, Wolford “Bud” Perando, Alden Perando, and Dale Perando, and is survived by her sister, Eva Mae (Perando) Clary.

Joan is survived by her devoted husband, Bill Hawk; her five children, in birth order: William Douglas Hawk and his spouse Karen, their children, Harley and his spouse, Allison, their children, Bentley, Cheyenne and Scarlett; Jessie and her children Brady and Hailey; Wynee Elizabeth Hawk and her son Harrison Hawk; David Edwin Hawk and his spouse, Katie, their children Jackson, Henry, his spouse Cath, and Madison; Mark Andrew Hawk and his spouse Wendi, their children Kasey and Austin; and Christina Madeline Hawk, her spouse Juan Carlos González Gómez, and her children Hannah and Caroline Hicks; including numerous nieces and nephews.

She is further survived by one very loyal companion, the golden retriever she and Bill shared, Buddy, who rarely left her side.

To her family, she was our first call, our steady hand, and the one who made a house feel like home. We will carry her lessons, her strength, and her love forward in the way we care for each other. And though our table will never quite be as full without her, we know she would expect us to keep feeding each other anyway.

A memorial service will be held at Maysville Volunteer Fire Department, 10326 Lunice Creek Highway, Maysville, WV, on April 18, 2026, at 12 p.m. Family and friends are invited to lunch immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Joan’s memory to Hospice of the Chesapeake, https://www.hospicechesapeake.org/giving/donate-now/.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.