Hazel M. Hewitt Obituary
Hazel M. (Bennett) Hewitt, 79, a resident of Gloucester, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 18, 2024, surrounded by her loved ones.
Hazel was born in Hankham, England, on August 6, 1944, to the late Jack and Ella (Mills) Bennett. She graduated from Nottingham University in 1966 with a degree in French Language and Literature. Hazel worked as a teacher and social worker before earning a degree in Industrial and Product Design from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 1991. She concluded her career as a senior technical writer at Siemens Milltronics in Peterborough, Canada, retiring in 2011.
After a life lived across the globe, Hazel retired to her beloved town of Gloucester, where she involved herself with various social and environmental causes. Organizations such as Save Our Shores Gloucester, the Piping Plover Project, Greening Haiti Fund, and Mass Audubon benefited from her dedication and passion. Hazel's many talents knew no bounds. She was an avid sailor, gardener, and birdwatcher. She loved to play the violin and speak French and she could always be counted on to create a stunning Halloween costume from scratch.
Hazel cherished time spent with her loved ones. Despite living much of her life overseas, she frequently traveled to England to visit extended family and treasured friends. Her immediate family resided stateside, where she shared her love for nature, the arts, history, human rights and social justice with her children and grandchildren. Her legacy of talent and passion lives on in those who were fortunate to know her.
Hazel is survived by her son, Toby Hewitt, and his wife, Elisa Petruzella; her daughter, Rachel Weker, and her husband, Bill; her grandchildren, Penny and Jasper Hewitt, and Max and Zoe Weker, and her brother, Mike Bennett and sister-in-law, Rosie Bennett. She is also survived by her nephew, Charlie Bennett, his wife Sammi and their children, Amelia, Tali, and Freddie, and her niece, Lucy (Bennett) Jenkins and her husband, Adam. She is also survived by her cousin, Mary French, her daughter, Boffy Otterwill, partner Ross, and daughter Ayla.
Hazel is predeceased by her parents, Jack and Ella Bennett, and her cousin, Jean Lines.
Please join us for a visitation at the Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington Street, Gloucester, on Sunday, June 23, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. followed by a service at 12:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, please consider planting a tree in memory of Hazel, or making a donation to the Mass Audubon Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport.
