Virginia Susan Hathaway

With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Virginia Susan Hathaway, beloved mother, partner, and retired army nurse. Sue passed away peacefully on October 12, 2024. She is survived by her two devoted sons, Gabriel R. Hathaway and Richard L. Hathaway, and her loving partner of more than twenty years, Kirk Laney. With two daughters-in-law that she loved like her own, Cora Galindo-Hathaway and Barbara Gaston, she was further blessed with, and survived by her three grandchildren, Mia C. Hathaway, D. Ethan Gaston, and S. River Gaston. 

Born on July 26, 1953, Sue dedicated more than 30 years of her life serving as an army nurse, providing care and comfort to countless others. Her commitment and compassion made a profound impact on everyone she encountered. Her life moved to Georgia in 2009 when the US Army needed her skills and rank to run a floor at Eisenhower hospital at Fort Gordon. She later eased out of the military with an honorable discharge and maintained a volunteer indefinite status while continuing a career in nursing at University Hospital in Augusta. 

Her compassion for taking care of patients was mirrored by her passion for taking care of animals, large and small. Sue especially cherished dogs and horses shifting to this focus in 2011. She would frequently say that her favorite breed of animal was “rescued.” For Sue, no animal was a lost cause. As a result of her love for horses, she co-founded Helios Equine Rehabilitation and Performance Center with Kirk. Through Helios, they pursued this passion for the last seven years. She is further survived by her six dogs and eighteen horses. 

Sue was not only a dedicated professional and lover of animals; she was also a devoted family woman. Known as “GiGi” to her three grandchildren, she loved to read books and watch movies with them. They also loved to visit GiGi’s ranch to swim and see the life-size dinosaur statues that lined the driveway to her home. Known as “Mom” to her two sons, Sue was a source of wisdom and guidance. Known affectionately as “Suzie” by her cherished partner Kirk, and “Sue” to her friends, she also shared with her friends and family her passion for scuba diving and travel. Her greatest joy came from spending time with her loved ones, creating memories that will be forever treasured. 

We invite friends and family to join us in celebrating her life at a service on Monday, October 21, 2024, at Platt’s Funeral Home, 337 North Belair Road, Evans, GA 30809. Visitation begins at 11:00 a.m., with a service beginning at 12:00 p.m. Her funeral procession will start at 12:45 and her burial will occur at approximately 2:00 p.m. at Helios Horse Rehabilitation Center, 1500 McCormick Hwy., Lincolnton, GA 30817. For friends and family attending the burial, there will be refreshments served at Helios’ main barn. This highlights the realization of Sue’s vision and dream to create a world-class facility for rehabilitating all horses and allow performance horses to reach their full potential.

In lieu of flowers, please consider sending a donation to Hope for Hooves Rescue, at hopeforhooves.org.