This 44-year old mother from Albany lost her life while celebrating the 'human spirit' at the 1996 Olympics...
Alice S. Hawthorne
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Alice S. Hawthorne did not run a single lap or win a single competition but her name will be associated with the 1996 Olympics Games forever. Mrs. Hawthorne (44) died in the early morning hours of July 27, 1996 from a bomb blast that sprayed shrapnel across the area where she was standing in Centennial Olympic Park.
Mrs. Hawthorne will forever be remembered as one who lost her life while celebrating the human spirit at the Olympics," said Gordon Joyner, a member of the Fulton County Commission. Fallon, her 14-year-old daughter, was injured when shrapnel from the blast gouged deep into an arm and a leg. Her mother had taken Fallon to the Olympics (from Albany, GA) as a birthday gift. A former United States Army lieutenant, Mrs. Hawthorne was a co-owner of Fallon's Ice Cream Parlor (named after her daughter) and receptionist of the local cable company in Albany, GA. Friends remembered her as a tireless civic work for the Chamber of Commerce. She was one of the first women to be accepted as a member of the American Legion chapter. |
Virtually everyone who knew her agreed that Alice Hawthorne will best be remembered as someone who brought people together. "The Hawthorne family lived their lives for others," Mayor Tommy Coleman of Albany said. "This lady will be remembered as a person who believed in the coming together of others, and not because of a cowardly act of violence."
Source: New York Times
Source: New York Times
Alice's Story by ATLsherpa
Quilt of Remembrance: It is one of the saddest ironies of history that great gatherings of peace sometimes attract violence. Here, in the early morning hours of July 27, 1996, where tens of thousands came to celebrate the unity of humanity, an explosion rocked Centennial Olympic Park taking the lives of Alice Stubbs Hawthorne and Melih Uzunyol and injuring 111 others. In the mosaic of this quilt – in the natural colors of stones gathered from around the world – the memory of that night is enshrined. May it remind all those who visit here that the light of peace will never be extinguished by anonymous acts of terror.
Media Coverage of Olympic Park Bombing on July 27, 1996 (AP Archive)
How & Where to Connect
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In Atlanta, the are two places to connect with Alice Hawthorne:
Instructions for getting to both are provided below. OLYMPIC PARK
The "Quilt of Remembrance" features a mosaic of stones from around the world to honor the 111 people injured by the 1996 Olympic Park bombing. An eternal light shines in this plaza in memory of Alice Hawthorne, who perished. WESTVIEW CEMETERY Alice Hawthorne is buried at Westview Cemetery in Section 38, Lot 1188 A, Grave 2. |
Quilt of Remembrance Plaza in Centennial Olympic Park
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Getting there...
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The Quilt of Remembrance is located on the east side of Centennial Olympic Park in Downtown Atlanta. It is a 15-minute walk from the State Farm Arena MARTA station. It is just inside the gate shown in the Google Street Map below.
Centennial Olympic Park 265 Park Ave W NW Atlanta, GA 30313 Driving Directions | Visitor Info | Park Map (PDF) |
Alice Hawthorne is buried at Westview Cemetery in Section 38, Lot 1188 A, Grave 2. This is on the north side (MLK Drive) of the cemetery grounds. The main entrance to the cemetery is shown in the Google Street Map below.
Westview Cemetery 1680 Westview Dr SW Atlanta, GA 30310 Driving Directions | Visitor Info | Cemetery Map (PDF) |
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