Derek Charles Hathaway

Derek Charles Hathaway, O.B.E.

Derek Charles Hathaway, age 71, of Mechanicsburg, PA, and formerly of Birmingham, England, died surrounded by his loving family on October 22, 2015, after a long illness.  Derek was born on the 11 ^th of May 1944, in Birmingham, England to the late John and Gertrude Hathaway.

Derek’s survivors include his wife of 50 years, Margaret; his sons Paul, Matthew and Charles; his grandchildren Sophie, Emma, Annabel, Liliana and Hunter, to whom he was their beloved Papa; and his siblings John and Jean; in addition to his extended family in England.

Derek was preceded in death by his mother and father, and his beloved sisters, Rita and Frances, as well as his mother-in-law, Irene, and her husband, Alfred.

Derek’s career spanned more than four decades of service to Harsco Corporation and the greater community.  In 1966, while in his early 20s, he founded Dartmouth Investments Limited in his native United Kingdom, building a group of engineering businesses into a public corporation acquired by Harsco in 1979.  Joining Harsco’s world headquarters in 1984, Derek became involved in the wider management of the company, serving first as Senior Vice President – Operations of the Engineered Products Group.  In 1991, he was named President and Chief Operating Officer and elected to the Board of Directors, and in that same year, he also became a U.S. citizen.  In 1994, Derek was elected Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of the company.  Under his leadership, Harsco significantly expanded its role as a market-leading provider of multi-industry industrial services on an international scale, growing operations to more than 45 countries worldwide.  Derek retired from the company at the end of 2007 and from the Board of Directors in early 2008.

Later that same year, Derek was awarded the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his service to industry and charity.  His numerous awards also include the Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, and honorary doctorate degrees from Messiah College, the Dickinson College School of Law, and Elizabethtown College. Derek served as Trustee Emeritus of the American Air Museum in Britain, joining among others, The Honorable George H.W. Bush, 41st president of the United States, and His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent, in the leadership of that organization.  In 1997, he was named Business Leader of the Year by the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he served as the first elected chairman of the city’s Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts.  Derek was selected by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge to serve on the Governor's Commission on Academic Standards, and also served as chairman of the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board and president of the Pennsylvania Society.

Derek’s service extended to numerous boards and councils, including the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania's Lawyers Fund for Client Security, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Manufacturers Alliance, the Pennsylvania Business Roundtable, and Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.  In the United Kingdom, he was a member of the Lunar Society, an intellectual forum based in Derek’s home town of Birmingham, and served as a magistrate in the criminal law courts; having been appointed as one of Her Majesty’s Justices of the Peace.  Derek also served as vice chairman of the Blue Coat preparatory school in Birmingham, and was a founding supporter of the Winston Churchill War Rooms Museum in Central London.

Not forgetting his humble upbringing in post-war Midlands UK and his education at Moseley Grammar School, Derek believed strongly in the concept of servant leadership and rarely sought the accolades associated with other business leaders.  Instead, he generously donated his time to help, encourage and nurture others, whether in a business or personal context.  Derek took particular pleasure in introducing people to travel or opportunities that they would otherwise not have the ability to experience .

Derek was a lifelong Christian and man of faith. His early involvement in the church in the UK formed the basis of his integrity and generosity, and was his moral compass throughout his life. Derek did not waver from what he believed to be truthful, just, and honorable in any given situation, despite it being often to his own disadvantage.

Derek’s and his wife Margaret’s philanthropy extended from support of education, preservation of history, the arts, and medical research, both in the US and the UK. A particular focus of his medical charitable support was finding a cure for ALS and cancer. Fundamental to Derek’s beliefs were the equal importance of nurturing body, mind, and spirit.

He had an enduring appreciation for music and the performing arts. Derek loved singing and classical music. He had a deep appreciation for poetry, literature, and history, which not only made him a wonderful conversationalist but a trusted advisor.  Family and friends also appreciated Derek’s keen sense of humor.

The family sends their most heartfelt thanks to Drs. Giampaolo Talamo, Paul Richardson, and Charles Reninger, and the staff at the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Dana Farber Cancer Institute of Boston, Hematology and Oncology Consultants of PA, and Pinnacle Health Community General Osteopathic ICU, who so lovingly cared for Derek during his illness.

In remembering Derek’s kind and giving spirit, the family encourages donation to a charity of your choosing, or an act of kindness to anyone in need.

Derek’s funeral will be held on Monday, November 2, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2000 Chestnut Street, Camp Hill, PA 17011.  The family will visit with friends and colleagues at a reception at West Shore Country Club, 100 Brentwater Road, Camp Hill, PA 17011, which will begin following the funeral service.  Burial in Mechanicsburg Cemetery will be private.

Derek’s family has entrusted his care to Myers – Buhrig Funeral Home and Crematory in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (717) 766-3421.  Read Derek’s full obituary and sign his official guest book at www.Myers-Buhrig.com .