Mildred Hazel Dowd

Mildred Hazel Dowd joined the love of her life, Douglas E. Dowd, in Heaven on Monday, December 16, 2024. She is survived by her children: daughter, Sylvia Vallery; son, Terry Dowd and his wife, Ann; and son, Garry Dowd; her four grandchildren, Molly Hopkins and her husband, Brian, Abby Scheuchzer and her husband, Mike, Kathryn Bernier, and Sarah Dryer and her husband, C.J.; her nine great grandchildren, Caleb Hopkins, Avery Hopkins, Cole Hopkins, Sadie Hopkins, Ben Scheuchzer, Millie Scheuchzer, Cam Scheuchzer, Eli Scheruchzer, and Victor Bernier. She is also survived by her brother, Russell Hart, and sister, Angylyn Tyler. She was preceded in death by her husband, Douglas Dowd; her mother, Mollie Hart; her father, Leroy Hart; her sister, Carolyn Knight; and her sister, Glenda Guice.

A graveside service for Hazel was held on Friday, December 20, 2024, in Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery attended by immediate family members only. John Dowd officiated the service and the pallbearers included Brian Hopkins, Mike Scheuchzer, Caleb Hopkins, Cole Hopkins, Ben Scheuchzer, and Cam Scheuchzer. Eli Scheuchzer and Victor Bernier were honorary pallbearers.

Hazel was born in Monroe, LA. She is a Ouachita High School graduate with college work at NLU and St. Louis University as well as training as an x-ray technologist. She married her husband, Doug, in 1947 and they moved to Gilmer, Texas. They later moved back to Monroe to be closer to Hazel’s family. Over the next 8 years, their three children were born. Hazel went to work at St. Francis Hospital after her children were older. She rose from part time work to Vice President/Human Resources. She was looked upon as a very human administrator who dealt fairly with the hundreds of employees under her supervision. During her Human Resources tour of duty, these departments came under her supervision in various combinations: Laboratory, Radiology, Security, Home Health, Social Services, Skilled Care, Hospice, Information, Professional Recruitment, Personnel, Education and Training, Dietary, Cancer Treatment Center, MRI, Axillary, Messenger Service, Telecommunications, and Employee Health. Hazel had a simple managerial style – respect other people and deal honestly with them. Hazel was chosen as the 9th recipient of the Sister Liguori Lawton Humanitarian Award, the most prestigious award presented by St. Francis. Hazel was described as having a fine Christian character and was felt to personify the qualities of dedication and love attributed to the Franciscan Sisters themselves.

There are many things that Hazel can point to with pride in her life, but that which she was most proud of was her family. The most important things in her life were her God, her husband, and her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She devoted her life to them.

So many memories were made in Bosco in the red brick house that Doug built. Hazel was known for her fabulous cooking, especially her biscuits, plum jelly, and chocolate pie. She and Doug hosted annual Christmas parties in Bosco where Hazel would have crock pots full of chicken and dumplings and turnip greens in the country kitchen for all to enjoy. There were many Saturday mornings spent at the Sale Barnd bringing home a pig or a goat in a diaper to the delight of her four granddaughters. There were summer days spent on the houseboat, movie nights drinking coke floats, pallets on the floor, darts in the country kitchen, orange juice in the gazebo, and family beach trips with the cousins.

There will never be another Hazel Dowd. She had a remarkable gift for loving, caring and serving others. Though she was gentle and humble, she had a strength the made her the rock of her family. Hazel was easy to love and we are all better for knowing her. We will miss her forever but are thankful that Doug and Hazel are together again.