Chaplain Dudley Chase Hathaway, USN(Ret) (STH’69)
This obituary was originally published by the Milward Funeral and can be found here.
Dudley Chase Hathaway was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on October 3, 1927. He passed from this world while at home at age 94 on March 25, 2022, to meet Jesus who he had served so faithfully all these years.
Dudley married his college sweetheart, Aileen Faith Stevens, from Hinckley, Maine on September 6, 1948. He graduated from Eastern Nazarene College, Quincy, Massachusetts, and earned degrees at Nazarene Theological Seminary, Kansas City, and Boston University. During the period of 1952 to 1962, Dudley pastored Churches of the Nazarene in Johnson, Vermont, and Saugus, Massachusetts. In 1961 he was commissioned a chaplain in the United States Navy and served on active duty from January 1962 through November 1990. His active duty involved a variety of assignments on shore and at sea including duty with surface forces, submarine forces, naval air, training commands and the United States Marine Corps. Overseas he served in Okinawa, Spain, Japan and with the First Marine Division in Vietnam. From 1978-1980 Chaplain Hathaway was the Navy’s only chaplain assigned full-time at Arlington National Cemetery. It is most fitting that he be buried in Arlington National Cemetery where he ministered to so many military sea service personnel and their dependents. He often referred to his time at Arlington National Cemetery as one of the most rewarding ministries of his Navy career. His military decorations included the Meritorious Service Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat ”V” and two Gold Stars in lieu of second and third awards. Dudley retired in December 1990, with the rank of captain and settled in Lexington, Kentucky.
Survivors include a son, David (Charlcie), of Richmond, Virginia; two daughters, Daphne (Mike) Westendorf of Piscataway, New Jersey, and Janet (Norm) Smith of Lexington, Kentucky; and seven grandsons and two great grandchildren. His beautiful wife of 41 years preceded him in death as well as one grandson.
Visitation for Chaplain Hathaway will be Monday, April 25th 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at Milward – Man O’War located at 1509 Trent Blvd. Service will follow at 12:00 pm.
The family would like to express thanks for the excellent hospice care given by Bluegrass Care Navigators.
It was Dudley’s desire that any remembrances/tributes be made in the form of donations to the Spencer-Lee Scholarship Fund at Nazarene Theological Seminary which assists students there who plan to enter the military or hospital chaplaincy. Make check payable to NTS and mail to Rev. Jamie McDorman, NTS, 1700 East Meyer Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64131 with “Spencer-Lee Scholarship Fund – Hathaway” on the memo line, or to give online, click this link https://www.nts.edu/give/#endowedscholarships.
To share a remembrance of Dudley, or to offer condolences to his family, please sign the online guestbook at milwardfuneral.com.
Interment in Arlington National Cemetery will commence Thursday, August 4, 2022 at 3:00pm.