Hatcher Micone Turns 100
Susan G. Komen North Jersey Founder and Past Volunteers Pay Tribute to a Life Well Lived
Hatcher Micone, a long-time resident of Summit, was honored on August 4, 2021 at a 100th Birthday Celebration held in her honor at the Fairmount Country Club in Chatham. Micone, who is a breast cancer survivor, was a dedicated and passionate Komen North Jersey volunteer for decades. Nearly 30 fellow former Komen volunteers, all of whom worked with Micone in the early days of the Affiliate, were there to celebrate her life, and to pay tribute to the “one-and-only Hatcher.”
“Hatch started volunteering with us around 2004, not long after we’d moved to our new offices in the pink-shuttered house in Summit,” says Deborah Q. Belfatto, Komen North Jersey’s founder, and a Summit resident for more than 20 years. “She was amazing from the start, so we put her in charge of our volunteers. She ran a tight ship, but they adored her and would do anything for her, so much so that they became known as ‘Hatcher’s Girls.’ There wasn’t a single person at her 100th year celebration whose life hasn’t been touched by her. She is such an inspiration, and I can only hope that I will look, and feel, and act, and be like her. She really is the one-and-only-Hatcher.”
Micone was born on August 2, 1921 and grew up in Freeman, Virginia. After graduating from high school, she attended Longwood College in Farmville, VA as a Physical Education major. She later studied at the Pan American Business School in Richmond, and met her husband, Edward Micone, in Richmond. She and Ed were married on June 11, 1944, and after living in Jacksonville, FL during WWII and San Diego, CA during the Korean War, they settled in Summit, NJ. She and Ed were married for 69 years (Ed passed away in 2013 at the age of 94) and had three children, Lacy, Edward and Roger. There are also five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Micone resided in Summit for 75 years before moving to assisted living at Juniper Village at Chatham.
In addition to her work with Komen, Micone served as a candy striper at Overlook Hospital, dabbled in musical theater (she was cast as a chorus girl in a few Overlook Hospital theater productions), and was an excellent golfer—in 1978, she was the Fairmount Country Club Ladies Club Champion.
Micone was recognized in 2006 by Komen North Jersey as Volunteer of the Year and given their top honor, the much-coveted “Angel Award.” In 2007, she was photographed as a “Journey of Courage,” a unique Komen North Jersey photo essay comprised of portraits of survivors who agreed to share their stories to heighten awareness of the disease that touched their lives. Her portrait includes this quote: “Surviving breast cancer inspired me to appreciate the gift of life and motivates me to work, play and love fully. I am thankful for the support of my family and friends, and have faith, hope and trust that cures will be found.” At the close of her birthday party, she expressed the hope that “all the wonderful people here will be around to celebrate her next 100…” We hope so too, Hatcher.
