"We're all re-living what we were doing exactly at the moment we found out, and that's been hard," Hathaway's sister Faye Beddingfield said. "It's been very hard today."
Exactly one year ago, Hathaway was gunned down when he answered a domestic violence call in a local neighborhood. He was trying to protect Gloria Nicholson, who was also shot and killed.
After an all-day manhunt, her estranged husband Abner Nicholson was caught and arrested just a few yards from the crime scene.
Hathaway's sister says Wayne's cemetery marker shows how much the townspeople still care for him. The stone is draped with fresh roses, a toy police car and a photo of her brother.
"Everybody has been so gracious about it and that's what helps us," Beddingfield said. "Wayne was the type of person that went out of his way for everybody, and everybody remembers that."
Saturday night, Hathaway's friends and supporters will gather once more for a candlelight memorial. While they are remembering his years of contributions, they are also waiting for the trial of his accused killer.
Abner Nicholson's photo is still posted in the police building with a warning to never forget his face.
"Well, I think after a year, it's time to get it behind us and go on and get it over with," Hathaway's friend Marvin Robbins said. "A year's long enough."
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