Warren Gell Hathaway
August 22, 1941-January 27, 2022
This is not an ordinary obituary, for Warren Gell Hathaway was not an ordinary man. He was a renowned sailor, a philosopher, a publisher and owner of the Hathaway Publishing group of suburban newspapers including the Somerset Spectator, the Middleboro Gazette, the Dartmouth Chronicle, and the Fairhaven Advocate. He had been on numerous committees and directed the United Way in Fall River when he still lived in Somerset and was working at the Spectator as his home base while buying his other publications. He was the proud father of four amazing children, the grandfather of four amazing grandchildren, the uncle to numerous amazing nieces and nephews.
Moving to Dartmouth following his marriage to Marcia Knight in 1983 changed the trajectory and direction of his life. In 1987, Warren, Marcia, and Luke became members of the New Bedford Yacht Club. All three remain members. Warren held many positions there and quickly was nominated for the leadership track as he was a well-known sailor and racer. Having sold Hathaway Publishing to Ottaway Newspapers in 1998, he turned his focus even more towards the water. In 1999-2000 he served as Commodore of the New Bedford Yacht Club and was the person responsible for both the publishing of the History of the New Bedford Yacht Club and the creation of the Dartmouth High School Sailing team, which he coached for 15 years.
A young Dartmouth High student at the time, Joey Mello came to Warren as Commodore and put forth his case to ask NBYC to host a sailing team for Dartmouth High School, as the summer sailors from our Club had nowhere to keep up their skills from summer to summer. There were no public school sailing teams in the area at this time. Warren LOVED sailing and competing, and told Joey if he could put together a team, Warren as Commodore would put forth to NBYC the idea of allowing Dartmouth High School to use their boats. Thus was born a relationship between DHS and NBYC that has endured to this day. Joey, who went on to become a first-rate sailor in college and who still lives his life in boats, then humbly, but firmly, told Warren, "thank you, but we need a Coach-you!!!" Taking over the birth of a public high school sailing team with no experience dealing with school administration or the politics involved in getting this kind of endeavor off the ground was Warren's biggest challenge, accomplishment, joy, and headache - one that countless numbers of sailors, families, and community members still remember and thank him for. Coaching DHS changed, defined, and honed Warren's very spirit and soul. Coaching allowed him to prioritize the values that team sailing required and the life lessons that served him and his sailors so well.
Warren planned to stop coaching after ten years, but when his best friend and assistant Coach DJ Walsh was killed while on his boat with Warren aboard in 2008, Warren knew he could not leave his team, and he continued to coach for five more years, though he was really too old for the March beginning of the season in our Buzzards Bay waters.
Fourteen years later, after too many crises to enumerate - well known to all of Warren's family, friends, and community - Warren has finally "crossed the bar" and is once again sailing, free at last. As the health challenges mounted, so did the support from family, friends, church, NBYC, and the larger community. Surely no one eighty+ years old could have asked for more! It is with deepest gratitude that our family thanks all of you who worked to keep Warren going through these last fourteen years - not an easy task! To his loving caregivers Denise, Sandy, and Joyce at our home, to our dear friend Kathy Pappas for her meticulous oversight of Warren's meds for his years between his JCH stays, to all of the many caregivers at the Jewish Convalescent Home, especially Cheryl, Jennifer, Ida, Anna, Julie, Fatima, Alexa, Patty (his beloved hospice nurse), and all of the nurses, aides, and Administrators who struggled to keep Warren well and happy throughout his two long stays at the JCH - we bow to you with heartfelt love for your care and concern. Especially in this last difficult stay during COVID, we extend our thanks. To his many steadfast friends including Gil, Mark, the Armstrongs, the Burkes, the Schoenings, the Kavanaughs, and the Siegals especially, we bow to you as well. We are grateful for the support of our pastor Rev. Emily J. Kellar and our Congregational Church family.
So many people will miss him, but most fiercely will be his wife and constant companion for the last 45 years, Marcia, and his four beloved children. His eldest three with his ex-wife Beverly DeMarco of Somerset include David and his wife Phuong and their children Henry and Katie of San Leandro CA; Jenna McDonald and her husband John and their daughter Riley of Dartmouth, MA; Peter and his wife Beth Osmer and their daughter Samantha, recently moved to Phoenix, AZ from San Francisco, CA. Warren's and Marcia's son Luke resides in Truckee, CA, but is relocating to Delray Beach, FL with his partner, Erin Lansky. Warren's treasured older sister and long time crew Patience (Patty) Hathaway of East Greenwich, RI remained steadfastly close right till the end. So many nieces and nephews will miss Uncle Boeuf or Uncle Coco. Warren was predeceased by his parents Ethel and Sidney Hathaway of Somerset, MA and his younger sister Dian Doran of New Hampshire.
Warren was never one for flowers, so if you care to donate, please do so in his name to either the Dartmouth High Sailing Team, which has a scholarship in his name, or to the New Bedford Yacht Club Sailing School, so he will see the legacy of his love for sailing and coaching continued. Our family firmly believes he is now back with his beloved "Steamer," his brother-in-law (my sister Pam's husband) and crew of 25 years, Dave Silva. When Dave passed away at only 64 on Labor Day of 2021, Warren lost his spark. But now, Heaven help Heaven! They will be a force together there as they were here!
Sail on my Captain! I know I will see you "on the boat." Godspeed, and good sailing. I love you always and forever.
A Celebration of Warren's life will be held on Wednesday February 2nd at 11 AM at the New Bedford Yacht Club, 208 Elm St., Dartmouth. A memorial visitation will be held on Tuesday February 1st from 3-7 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.
To watch the service live on February 2nd at 11AM, Please Click Here.