Biography of Edward Vernon Hathaway
b. 5 Nov. 1917, Indianapolis, IN
d. 13 Oct. 2009, Brevard, NC
Son of Vernon and Ruth Shatto Hathaway
Edward Vernon Hathaway of Brevard, NC, died quietly at his home on October 13th. On November 5th he would
have been 92. He leaves behind his wife of 39 years, Ruth Harry Hathaway and his five adult children from his first
wife, Marianne Klebes Hathaway from whom he was widowed in 1968.
He was born in Indianapolis, IN to parents Vernon and Ruth Shatto Hathaway and was named for his father’s
childhood friend, Edward Vernon (Captain Eddie) Rickenbacker the World War I flying ace and former owner of The
Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Shortly after graduating with a degree in biological and physical sciences from The
Ohio State University in 1940, he was invited by OSU’s chemistry department to take courses in explosives
chemistry and engineering sponsored by the US Army Ordnance Department. After completing the courses the
following year, he went to work at the Ordnance’s munitions plant in Charlestowne, IN. In May of 1943 he joined
the US Navy, attending midshipmen school at The University of Notre Dame. Ensign Hathaway reported for
engineering school at Cornell University in January of 1944, just days after the birth of his first child. Shortly after he
was certified as a Naval Engineer he was assigned to the USS LCS(L)-34 as Engineering Officer. He was soon
promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, J.G. and became the Executive Officer of the ship. His ship was assigned to the
Asiatic-Pacific Theatre in World War II and among its duties was as a support and landing craft during the assaults on
Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He was very proud of all his campaign ribbons and the two battle stars awarded his ship. But
he was most proud of the Purple Heart that was awarded posthumously to his only sibling, his brother Ted, a
bombardier with the Army-Air Corps and who was shot down along with his crew over the North Sea.
When the war was over, he returned home to his wife and small daughter and they grew their family to include four
more children. He resigned as a full Lieutenant from the US Naval Reserve in 1954. Drawing on his Naval engineering,
he began a career at Allison (then a division of General Motors) as a research and development engineer, from which
he retired in 1979. Ed had a great love for music and he and Ruth spent many enjoyable evenings at The Indianapolis
Symphony Orchestra and The Brevard Music Center.
While president of the Amos W. Butler Chapter of The National Audubon Society he spearheaded a lobbying effort
to ban nearly all phosphates from detergents. In April of 1971, Indiana became the first state in the nation to impose
such a ban and it was an important part of the early growth of the environmental movement. As an avid birder and
lover of nature he and Ruth moved to the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary at Sherwood Forest in Brevard upon their
retirements. For several years during his retirement he was president of The Hathaway Family Association, one of the
country’s oldest genealogical societies.
But “retirement” was only a word in his vocabulary as he quickly became passionately involved with the Connestee
Volunteer Fire Department. He was so hooked on hooks and ladders that during his seventeen years with the CVFD
he designed and procured the department’s first three Class A fire engines and supervised the design and construction
of a six bay,two story, 9000 square foot fire station. He retired from the department in 1996 having served the last
seven years as president of its board of directors. The department has graciously offered to transport his remains on
one of those engines to the services at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Brevard. A Mass of Christian Burial begins at
11:00 am on Tuesday, October 20th. A memorial service and interment will be in Indianapolis.
The loving children he leaves behind are Nancy Hathaway Lee, Janice M. Hathaway and Philip N. Hathaway of
Indianapolis; Martha Hathaway Londeck of Beverly Hills, MI; and Christina Hathaway Vogel of Old Wick, NJ. He
will also be lovingly remembered by his three sons-in-law Gary Lee, Paul Londeck and Robert Vogel; six grandchildren
and seven great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial contribution to one of the following organizations: Connestee Fire Rescue
Inc., P.O. Box 2427, Brevard, NC 28712;Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House, 5353 East 56th Street, Indianapolis, IN
46226; or Habitat for Humanity at www.habitat.org.
Mass of Christian Burial
Tuesday October 20, 2009, 11:00 - AM at Sacred Heart Catholic Church
| PRESIDENT William S. Hathaway, Jr. 2231 Riverside Ave. Somerset, MA 02726-4104 wsh@hathawayfunerals.com PAST PRESIDENT Edward Vernon Hathaway Sherwood Forest 250 Butternut Ln. Brevard, NC 28712 VICE PRESIDENTS Nancy Hathaway Brown 20551 Olympia Redford, MI 48240 crnjb28@sbcglobal.com Edwin Roy Hathaway 163 Dragonfly Dr. Titusville, FL 32780 royhathaway@yahoo.com Fred Hathaway 27 Worcester St. W. Springfield, MA 01089-3405 hathaway26@comcast.net Nancy Hathaway Lee 4833 Plantation Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46250 nancy.lee4833@sbcglobal.net Barbara Nelson 1856 Penfield Rd. Penfield, NY 14526 nelsonjb@frontiernet.net Cleo Hathaway 6535 Seaview Ave. N.W. #406B Seattle, WA 98117-6052 |
| HFA OFFICERS |
| VICE PRESIDENT/EDITOR Lynne A. Webb 2927 Highfield Cres. Ottawa, Ontario Canada, K2B 6G4 Hathaway-2000@comnet.ca SECRETARY Carol Ann Mac Master 1619 Pine Mill Rd. Equinunk, PA 18417 my56tbird@hotmail.com TREASURER Ruth E. Hathaway 2231 Riverside Ave. Somerset, MA 02726-4104 reh@hathawayfunerals.com GENEALOGIST Helen Hathaway Freedman 97 Amanda Dr. Penrose, NC 28766 hfagenealogist@yahoo.com GENEALOGIST EMERITUS/VICE PRESIDENT Ruth Keightley 3102 Royal Troon Woodstock, GA 30189-6894 rkeightley1@bellsouth.net HISTORIAN Carolyn A. Gregitis 5 John Dr. West Springfield, MA 01089 hfa.historian@yahoo.com INTERNET CORRESPONDENT Leanne Wiese 3534 Butcher Dr. Santa Clara, CA 95051 Leanne01@aol.com |
Seated left to right:
Treasurer, Ruth E. Hathaway; Secretary, Carol Ann MacMaster; Vice President/Bulletin
Editor, Lynne A. Webb; Vice Presidens, Nancy H. Brown and Barbara Nelson
Standing left to right:
Vice President, Cleo Hathaway; Genealogist, Helen H. Freedman; President, William S.
Hathaway, Jr.; Vice Presidents; Nancy H. Lee and Fred Hathaway; Vice
President/Genealogist Emeritus, Ruth H. Keightley
Not Present for the photo:
Past President, Edward V. Hathaway; Vice President, Edwin Roy Hathaway; Historian,
Carolyn A. Gregitis, Leanne Wiese.
Treasurer, Ruth E. Hathaway; Secretary, Carol Ann MacMaster; Vice President/Bulletin
Editor, Lynne A. Webb; Vice Presidens, Nancy H. Brown and Barbara Nelson
Standing left to right:
Vice President, Cleo Hathaway; Genealogist, Helen H. Freedman; President, William S.
Hathaway, Jr.; Vice Presidents; Nancy H. Lee and Fred Hathaway; Vice
President/Genealogist Emeritus, Ruth H. Keightley
Not Present for the photo:
Past President, Edward V. Hathaway; Vice President, Edwin Roy Hathaway; Historian,
Carolyn A. Gregitis, Leanne Wiese.
| HFA Officers at Reunion 2006 |
| Leanne Wiese Internet Correspondent and HFA Web Designer |
| See Their Photos Below |
