NORWAY – Charles Allen Hawthorne, 87, of Peru, died Tuesday, July 5, at the Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway.

He was born Aug. 21, 1917, in Rumford, a son of Allen D. and Ethel (Small) Hawthorne and attended Dixfield Schools.

After high school, he worked with his father, canning corn and later delivering meat and fish door to door. He also worked for Hoods Milk Co., in Rumford.

From 1942 to 1945, he served with the U.S. Maritime in the North Atlantic.

In 1945, he moved to Sterling, Mass., where he lived for 28 years. He worked for Van Brody Milling in Clinton, Mass., as a shop foreman for a few years, before going into business for himself, again delivering meat and fish door to door for 20 years.

He later worked for Perkins school in Lancaster, Mass., until his retirement in November 1980.

Upon his return to Peru at the age of 62, he went to work with his brother at the Hawthorne Funeral Homes in Dixfield, Farmington and Mexico.

He was a former member of the Wildev Lodge AF & AM in Leominster, Mass., which was an affiliate of the Trinity Lodge AF & AM in Clinton, Mass. In Maine, he was a member of the King Hiram Lodge 57 in Dixfield and the Rumford Elks Lodge.

He enjoyed riding his moped, fishing, gardening and tending to his home.

He is survived by his son, David of Campton, N.H.; companion, Ruth D. Davis for over 20 years; sister, Mrs. Armand (Ethel) Thibodeau of Worthley Pond; and one grandson, Allen Hawthorne.

He was predeceased by a sister, Mabel Donahue; and a brother, E.A. “Bud” Hawthorne.