Meredith A. Hathaway passed away peacefully on May 16, 2026 with family by her side. Submitted photo.
Meredith Ann Hathaway
Meredith Ann (Richmond) Hathaway, 86, of Lake Wales, FL, formerly of Fairhaven, MA, Bridgewater Corners and Plymouth, VT, and Dundee, FL passed away peacefully on May 16, 2026 with family by her side. She was born in New Bedford, MA to the late Harold and Dorothy (Lambert) Richmond. She was married to the late Chester A. “Chet” Hathaway for 67 years. Meredith was raised in Fairhaven and graduated from Fairhaven High School, Class of 1956.
Meredith was a stay-at-home Mom, sewing her children’s clothes and doll clothes, while making sure there were freshly baked cookies for her girls and the neighborhood children after school, before entering the workforce in the late 1970s as a realtor for Savaria Realty. While her children were growing up, she was a Brownie and Girl Scout Leader during the school months and during the summer could be found on Cuttyhunk Island supporting her commercial fisherman husband and sailing around the harbor with her girls. She worked at the Allen House on Cuttyhunk Island for many years and spent summers living on the boat with her family. She was an amazing mom who taught us much. While her children were growing up, she brought her love for music to life with her children every Sunday with “orchestra in the living room” with her mother and father joining in. Those were fun times.
After moving to Vermont, she owned and operated The Junction Country Store in Bridgewater Corners, VT with Chet, sharing her amazing cooking in the deli, which brought her much joy, and finished off her career as the Assistant Pastry Chef at the Woodstock Inn & Resort in Woodstock, VT. She loved baking with her grandchildren and left them with many wonderful memories of baking with their Gram. The last two years of her life were spent living in Lake Wales, FL where she was so happy. She loved going on outings and out for seafood. She found a wonderful church family and enjoyed worshipping every Sunday. She loved the Brown Bag lunches and Dr. Darr’s fabulous piano playing. She really shined Jesus’ love to those she met. She was ready to go meet her Savior.
Meredith is survived by her three daughters: Debra-Ann Hathaway of Fort Pierce, FL; Ruth Search and her husband, Robert, of Lake Wales, FL; and Lynne Gautreau and her husband, Roger, of Port Orange, FL; eight grandchildren: Nathan Anderson, Heather Anderson, Douglas Anderson, David Richardson, Joshua Lewis, Sarah Lewis, Mariatu Search, and Nicholas Gautreau; and 13 great-grandchildren. She was looking forward to her great-great-granddaughter arriving in July. She is also survived by her brother-in-law John Nelson; a niece, Dorothy O’Rourke; and nephews, John Nelson, Douglas Hathaway, and Stephen Hathaway.
She is predeceased by her husband and parents; sister, Barbara Nelson; sisters-in-law, Ann and M. Louise Hathaway; grandson, Christopher Gautreau; nephews, Leonard and Marc Hathaway; and niece, Hope Ann Pinard.
A celebration of life for both Meredith and Chet will be held on Monday, August 10, 2026 at 2:00 pm at South Lake Wales Church of God, 210 Presidents Ave, Lake Wales, Florida with Pastor Chad Tingley presiding. Meredith was passionate about the ministry of her daughter Ruth and son-in-law Robert in Siera Leone, West Africa and has requested in lieu of flowers donations be made in her memory to Mariatu’s Hope, Inc., PO Box 2846, Haines City, FL 33845.
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