Sarah M. (Smith) Hathaway

Sarah M. Hathaway, 91, of Auburn, passed away, Monday, February 9, 2026, at Lincolnshire Place in Fort Wayne.

She was born April 4, 1934, to James W. Smith Jr. and Elizabeth (Kennedy) Smith.

Sarah graduated from the Lankenau Hospital School of Nursing in rural Philadelphia with a degree in nursing and became a Registered Nurse. She attended the University of Colorado in Boulder where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree. She then graduated from Northwestern University in Chicago with a Master of Science Degree in Hospital Administration.

Sarah married William Hathaway on January 20, 1962, at the Bala Cynwyd Presbyterian Church in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. He passed away on May 28, 2021.

Sarah started her career working in administration for the Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. She then went to work for Health Careers in Indianapolis as manager, she then served as office manager for her husband, William Hathaway, MD. In retirement, she enjoyed working at the Garden Gate in Auburn, where, from the beginning, she was a steady presence and a cornerstone of the company.

 Faith was the foundation of her life. She was a member of the St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Auburn.

 Sarah was the recipient of the Heart of Gold award in 2002.

 She never retired from being a full-time wife, mother and grandmother, always spending countless hours in the kitchen creating incredibly large servings of food for family gatherings, Boy Scouts, and the Auburn Fire Department.

Surviving are three sons, Robert Clayton Hathaway, MD, and his wife, Elizabeth of Fort Wayne, Richard Henry Hathaway, and his wife, Sara of Auburn, and Peter Winslow Hathaway of Auburn; seven grandchildren, Andrew Hathaway, Greg Hathaway, Matthew Hathaway, Will (Beth) Hathaway, Madison (Andrew) Green, Meagan Hathaway and Mackenzie Hathaway; one great granddaughter, Eleanor Grace Green; and two siblings, Stephen Smith of Radnor, PA, Elizabeth “Betsy” Muldrow of Denver, CO; and sisters-in-law, Carol Hathaway of Auburn, Kristi Hathaway of Minneapolis, MN, Margaret “Peggy” Lieb of Auburn; and Caro Smith of PA.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brother, James Wilison Smith III; and sister, Phyllis W. Smith.

Services will be 1 p.m. Saturday, February 14, 2026, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 211 W. Ninth St., Auburn, with visitation from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday, prior to the service at the church.

Pastor Jon Hunter will be officiating.

Burial will take place at Woodlawn Cemetery at a later date.

Visitation also will be from 5 – 8 p.m. Friday, February 13, 2026, at Feller and Clark Funeral Home, 1860 Center St., Auburn.

Memorials may be directed to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 211 W. Ninth St., Auburn, IN 46706 or St. Martin’s Healthcare, 1359 S. Randolph St., Garrett, IN 46738.

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