Hawthorn Fire Mineart

Hawthorn F. Mineart, 56, of Indianapolis, passed away on Saturday, May 24, 2025, after a battle with metastatic lung cancer. He was born on June 6, 1968, in West Des Moines, Iowa, a couple of hours after Robert Kennedy died. Hawthorn married the love of his life, Stephanie Koutek, on May 31, 2008, in Great Oak Commons Park in Indianapolis.

Hawthorn was a graduate of Noblesville High School, class of 1986, and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and philosophy from Ball State University in 1991. He spent 26 years in various design and IT roles at Pearson Education and recently worked in user interface design at GoodRx.   

Hawthorn was a member of Speed City Sisters in Crime, a prominent mystery writers’ organization, and had a penchant for photographing roadside attractions and advertising art. He was an obsessive reader with a large personal library. He loved to knit and was a member of Indy Pub Knitters. Hawthorn was a fierce advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community and volunteered at Indiana Youth Group in addition to his local political activism.

Survivors include his wife of 17 years, Stephanie Koutek; his parents, Paul (Carol) Mineart, Sr., and Patricia (nee Groenwoldt) Mineart; siblings Paul (Jaime) Mineart, Jr., Todd (Sota) Mineart, Scott (Bethany) Mineart, Stacy Mineart Firks, and Gary (Michele) Mineart; dog, Baxter; cats, Salem and Mama Kitty; and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. 

Family and friends will gather on Sunday, June 1, 2025, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Lauck & Veldhof Funeral & Cremation Services. A service celebrating Hawthorn’s life will take place on Monday, June 2, at 11 a.m. at the funeral home with additional visitation prior to the service starting at 10 a.m. Burial will follow at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions have been suggested to GenderNexus or Indiana Youth Group. 

The family encourages everyone to visit Hawthorn's blog, www.commonplacebook.com to read his daily thoughts and relive his experiences. 

To leave an online condolence for the family, please visit www.LauckFuneralHome.com.   

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