Community Involvement
Straight from the Heart
The Hewitt family is active within the Hampton Roads community. They volunteer their time and resources for numerous causes, including Ronald McDonald House Charities of Norfolk, Edmarc, and Relay for Life. Tim and his wife, Nancy, also run the Ashley Hewitt Foundation in memory of their middle child, Ashley Elizabeth, whom they lost to cancer at the age of 14, in 2001, following a courageous seven-year battle.
"I am much more than a retired navy pilot turned building contractor who is focused on remodeling homes as a way to earn a living," Tim Hewitt explains. "I am not ashamed to say that helping others sort thru the complicated and frustrating maze inherent in the remodeling process has been part of my answer to finding joy again following a deep personal loss." "After all the cheers have died down and the stadium is empty, after the headlines have been written, and after you are back in the quiet of your room and the championship ring has been placed on the dresser and after all the pomp and fanfare have faded, the enduring thing that is left is the dedication to doing with our lives the very best that we can to make the world a better place in which to live." ~Vince Lombardi (1913-1970) "Giving Back" to the Charity That Gave to Him
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Norfolk, Virginia
During their daughter Ashley's treatment for cancer at St. Jude Children's Hospital, Tim and Nancy Hewitt found the care and support they needed at Ronald McDonald House of Memphis, Tenn. The house had become a home away from home which enabled the couple to reside comfortably, within walking distance of their daughter and her doctors, without any additional burden regarding the cost of such hospitality.
Ashley passed away in 2001, at the tender age of only 14. Heartbroken but unwilling to withdraw, Tim Hewitt heeded the advice of friends and began volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House Charity near his home, in Norfolk, Va. He went on to serve on its board and in January, 2013, he accepted the role of president which he held until the end of his term in 2017. "We are fortunate to have him," says Elyse Brown, RMHC of Norfolk's executive director. "He has taken that (tragedy) and put his energy into (volunteering) here, locally. He cares about the house and he cares about the families who stay here. And he talks about the house from a personal experience, which makes all the difference in the world." To Tim Hewitt, the exchange is natural: It's simply an honor to care with his gifts for the charity that has cared for his own family and continues to tend to so many others. |
Tim and Ashley Hewitt
A Heartfelt Mission
Tim Hewitt served on the board of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Norfolk, Va., from 2002 until 2017, the last four years as president.
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