Danny Carl Hawthorne, 79, of Imperial died July 24, 2026. Mr. Hawthorne graduated from Belleville High School in June 1965 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served as a radioman aboard the USS Claud Jones and USS Vance, deployed to Vietnam between 1966 and 1969. Later, he worked in Information technology for two decades with A.G. Edwards, Inc. in St. Louis, retiring in Sept. 2008. In 1992, Danny married his wife at the summit of Aspen Mountain during a ski trip. Four years later, he survived a life-altering motorcycle accident that resulted in quadriplegia. Despite the challenges that followed, and with his wife’s support, his strength of character carried him through every day. Born July 22, 1947, in Belleville, Ill., he was the son of the late Stanley and Shirley Hawthorne.
He is survived by his wife: Susan K. (Ammerman) Hawthorne; three daughters: Kimberly (Todd) Metze, Lori (Shane) Stewart and Cindy (Scott) Beyer; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; a brother: Jerry (Dorothy) Hawthorne; a sister: Sherry (Steve) Hargan; and a large extended family.
A service is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 31, at John L. Ziegenhein Funeral Home, 4830 Lemay Ferry Road, in St. Louis County, with a visitation to follow before leaving for the National Cemetery at Jefferson Barracks at noon for a ceremony with military honors. Memorials may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital or the American Heart Association. Arrangements are under the direction of John L. Ziegenhein and Sons Funeral Home.