Mary Sue Hawk

Mary Sue Grove, the youngest daughter of Glen and Mildred Grove, was born in South English, Iowa, a town of about 200 people in the southeastern part of the state. Her father was a hog buyer for Morrell, and her mother taught kindergarten in nearby Sigourney. Both parents were highly musical; her father and his brothers were champion barbershop quartet singers.

Mary Sue inherited their musical talent and sang in public for the first time at age three at a baby’s funeral. She attended the University of Iowa, where as a freshman she performed a tribute to the university’s late basketball coach before a crowd of 16,000. She was also the first member of the Old Gold Singers, a small ensemble that toured the Midwest performing for alumni groups.

In 1961, she was one of 500 performers who auditioned for two roles at Melody Top Theater outside Chicago, then the largest tent theater in the country. After hearing her sing “If I Loved You,” she was asked to sign a contract on the spot. That summer, Hollywood musical star Howard Keel—later known as the patriarch on the television series Dallas—offered to sponsor her on Broadway, and she was also invited to pursue sponsorship to the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center. She declined both opportunities, choosing instead to pursue marriage and family life.

In 1962, she married Bob, her college sweetheart. They began their life together as Bob started his Army service. After his discharge, the couple moved many times for various career opportunities before eventually settling in Colorado.

Throughout those years, Mary Sue continued to pursue her passion for music and theater, directing productions beginning in Salt Lake City, including You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and The Music Man. Later, in New Jersey, she directed numerous productions, including West Side Story, South Pacific, and Oklahoma!. She became the first non-Broadway director invited to direct a musical in the 100-year history of the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey.

In 1986, Mary Sue was resolved to put down roots in Colorado and founded her interior design firm, Hawk Interiors. She went on to design and build a home in Denver as well as a winter residence in Indian Wells, California.

Mary Sue was deeply involved in charitable and cultural causes. She served as chairwoman and later board member emeritus of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s Rocky Mountain Chapter and was a board member of the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert. Together, Mary Sue and Bob were lead contributors to the construction of Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Aurora, Colorado. They were also early supporters of Seeds of Hope, which provides scholarships and tuition assistance to low-income families, and were founding supporters of Arrupe Jesuit High School.

A devoted patron of the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Ballet, Mary Sue carried her lifelong love of music and the arts into every chapter of her life.

She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Bob; her three beloved children, Stephanie, Christopher, and Casey; and four grandchildren, Tate, Cole, Calvin, and Mason.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Arrupe Jesuit High School.

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