Mary Hazel, 95, of Vero Beach, passed away peacefully on Aug. 1 at Dixie Oak Manor in Vero Beach.
She is survived by her children, D. Todd Hazel, Mary Ann Maney, David W. Hazel (Debbie), R. Mark Hazel (Kathy); grandchildren Cristi Ledford (Mike), Chipper Maney (Kelsie), Ben Hazel (Crissy), Brett Hazel, Meredith Hazel Greer (Tyrone), and Alex Hazel; and great-grandchildren, Sarah Ledford, Wilder Christie, Matthew, Isabelle, and Brayden.
She was born in 1918 in Henderson, N.C. She was the second child of Sarah and Percy Gupton of Louisburg, N.C. She grew up in Henderson, but left there in her early twenties to move to West Palm Beach where she found a secretarial position and also volunteered at the USO.
It was in West Palm Beach that she met her future husband, now deceased, Robert H. “Pat” Hazel, who had just returned from serving in World War II at Guadalcanal. After meeting and dating for almost a year, he moved to Los Angeles, Calif., to pursue a degree in Journalism and she followed shortly after. They were married Dec. 7, 1946.
Their first child, Daniel Todd, was born in 1947. The Hazel’s moved to Vero Beach in 1949 where Hazel’s husband went to work for the Press Journal and she was a stay-at-home mom. Their second child, Mary Ann, was born in 1950 in Henderson, N.C. where Hazel had traveled to care for her ailing mother.
Two more children followed, David Wirt, born in Vero Beach in 1953, and Robert Mark, born in Vero Beach in 1960. During her early years in Vero Beach, Hazel made extra money for the family by crafting handmade doll clothes to sell.
She became very active in local activities in Vero Beach joining the Vero Beach Junior Women’s Club, the local Garden Club, and the First Baptist Church. She will best be remembered for her achievements with the Vero Beach Build Freedom with Youth project, for which she was chairwoman. The group raised over $25,000 to build two parks including playground equipment, picnic tables and grills, bathrooms, hard-surfaced courts, seating and lights, in Gifford. They also formed a Garden Club for the women in Gifford, which assisted in the beautification of the parks. Additionally, they were also responsible for starting a pre-natal clinic in Gifford.
In 1963, the project, which included 35 separate projects, won second place in the National Freedom Foundation Community Service Awards. Hazel traveled to Miami to receive the award which was televised.
She went to work for the Indian River Sheriff’s Department in 1963. She eventually became the head of the records division, and in 1983 received the distinct honor of becoming the department’s first woman lieutenant. Said Sheriff Tim Dobeck, “It’s refreshing that I do not have to worry because I know that Mary is doing it right.” She retired from the Sheriff’s Department in 1985. Her husband died nine years later in 1994.
Though Hazel lived alone for the next 17 years, her house was always full of family, children, grandchildren, and friends. In 2011, she was moved to an assisted living facility where she lived out the remainder of her days. Her family will remember her for her gentle and loving spirit, her love of the Lord, and her ability to always find good in everyone and every situation.
A Memorial Service will be held at 10 a.m. on Aug. 9, at Strunk Funeral Home.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6.
Arrangements are under the direction of Strunk Funeral Home, Vero Beach. A guest book is available at www.strunkfuneralhome.com.