Obituary: Hewitt’s Dairy Bar co-founder was a ‘wonderful lady’ and ‘amazing boss’
It wasn't a sure thing that Hewitt's Dairy Bar would be a success.
Howard and Marie Hewitt faced skepticism around town in April 1962 - two banks turned the couple down for a loan - because they didn't think it would work. They had to get money from a private lender to open the business on Highway 6, just north of Hagersville.
I think we were kind of naive," Marie told The Spectator in 2010.
But, she noted, her husband was not known for just jumping into something. Two years earlier, he watched people passing through town on their way to Lake Erie cottages and saw an opportunity as an extension of the family's milk plant in Hagersville. He even went to the University of Guelph for a course on how to make ice cream. Marie contributed homemade pies to attract customers.
They opened with 12 stools at the lunch counter and their daughter Maureen Hewitt-Topp said they did well right from the start." In 1964, they doubled the size of the bar and years later added more stools to a total of 32. Marie wound up making thousands of pies.
The business is now a landmark and customers are offered a choice of 60 ice cream flavours. On a good day, the dairy bar can sell more than 3,000 cones.
Hewitt died Jan. 29 at her Hagersville home. She was 88.
She was born Jan. 9, 1934 to Kenneth and Helen Saunders, who ran a dairy farm near the hamlet of Nanticoke. Her mother was also a teacher. Hewitt attended Simcoe Composite School and became a teacher after attending the Hamilton Normal School. She taught at Canborough Public School and Northview Public School in Hagersville.
She and Howard married in 1956.
After he died in 1994, Hewitt became president of the company. She expanded the product line coming from the milk plant to include such items as frozen yogurt, sour cream, sherbert, a Middle Eastern milk drink and products made of milk from cows and goats. She opened the dairy bar every morning until the family sold the company to Gay Lea Foods in 2014.
Hewitt-Topp, who started working at the dairy bar when she was 13, said her mother could be tough on people, but was always fair.
She did a lot of stuff behind the scenes to help people out," she said.
Leah Thompson, supervisor of the dairy bar, first met Hewitt when she came to work there in 2010. She last saw her about two months ago when Hewitt came in to get her usual order of French Vanilla ice cream and a carton of milk.
She was a wonderful lady," said Thompson. She was an amazing boss. I believe I have my work ethic because of her. She was always making sure everything was done properly."
In an eulogy at her funeral service, former Hewitt Dairy comptroller Christine Rohrbach said her boss was driven, astute, thoughtful, progressive, supportive and a pillar of strength."
A woman in the dairy industry was extraordinary, but she was more than that," said Rohrbach, now a senior Gay Lea executive. She executed Howard's dream for the dairy and she led Hewitt's into niche directions. She left a legacy."
Former Haldimand mayor Marie Trainer called her a wonderful woman."
She was dedicated and strong," said Trainer. She was very intelligent."
Hewitt served as chair of the West Haldimand General Hospital Auxiliary and eventually became president of the Hospital Auxiliaries Association of Ontario. She also served as chair of the hospital board, was a member of Hagersville United Church and served as a 4H Leader.
In 2012, Hewitt received a Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for her community work.
Hewitt is survived by her daughter, Maureen, and son, Todd, granddaughter, Jennifer, and great-grandson, Arthur. She is also survived by her brothers, Tom and Dave. She was predeceased by her husband, Howard, and by her brothers, William and Robert.
Daniel Nolan can be reached at dannolanwrites@gmail.com