Martha Hearn Cawley

Martha Hearn Cawley, age 85, passed away on June 24, 2025 in West Chester, PA. Born in Philadelphia, PA, Martha spent most of her life in Barto, PA, where she lived from 1968 until 2021.

A gifted and versatile artist, Martha earned her B.F.A. in Illustration from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and an M.Ed. in Art Education from Temple University. Her creative talents spanned numerous media—from woodcut prints and ceramics to industrial art and watercolor. Regardless of form, her work consistently reflected her deep connection to the natural world and her abiding compassion for animals.

In the late 1970s, Martha and her husband, Bob, co-founded the Cawley-LeMay Stove Company in Boyertown, PA, alongside partner Robert LeMay. When Mr. LeMay departed the company, the business became known as the Cawley Stove Company. While Bob designed the stoves with rugged reliability in mind, Martha brought them to life with her original bas relief sculptures—each one a tribute to nature, uniquely crafted for every stove model. To this day, Cawley-LeMay stoves are considered works of functional art and are treasured by collectors.

After Bob’s passing in 2001, Martha launched her own venture, Dogs in Cast Stone. Over the years, she sculpted approximately 80 dog breeds, creating cast stone replicas from molds made from her original sculptures. She marketed these works throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, sharing them at dog shows and with breeders and fellow dog lovers.

Later in life, Martha returned in spirit to one of her favorite places—Broadkill Beach, Delaware—through her final artistic work: a series of 20 watercolor paintings capturing the beach as she remembered it from the 1940s and 1950s.

Martha is survived by her daughter, Amanda (Jeffrey) Cantlin, and her grandson, Trevor. She is also survived by her five siblings: William Hearn, Alice Hearn, Nancy Evans, Robert Hearn, and Elizabeth Gibson, as well as her sister-in-law, Anne Adele. She was predeceased by her husband, Charles “Bob” Cawley Jr., and her parents, William and Martha Hearn.

A private celebration of Martha’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family invites those who knew her to honor her memory by cherishing the natural world, protecting its beauty, and showing kindness to the animals who share it with us.