By SCOTT MILEY and DAVE STAFFORD

The Herald Bulletin

PENDLETON — The death of a 17-year-old Pendleton Heights High School senior is not due to the H1N1 virus, his father said Monday.

An autopsy is being conducted on the body of Tyler Hatheway at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie to determine the cause of his death.

Reports of H1N1 had circulated at the school, but Superintendent Tom Warmke said Monday morning that Hatheway had never tested positive for the virus commonly referred to as swine flu.

Hatheway, who did have asthma, was found dead in his home Sunday morning.

On Saturday, he had worked a fundraiser for his youth group at First Pentecostal Church in Anderson. The group worked at a concession stand at the Notre Dame football game, said his father, Andrew Hatheway.

“Everything was fine. He talked to mom, talked to big brother. He went to bed and he didn’t repsond to his alarm in the morning,” the father said Monday morning.

Pendleton Heights High School was open Sunday afternoon to provide grief counseling for students. Warmke said clergy from Hatheway’s church and school staff attended to provide comfort to about 150 students who came to the school.

Warmke said Tyler’s father, Andrew Hatheway is a substitute teacher at South Madison Community Schools and Delynn Hatheway is a teacher at East Elementary in Pendleton.

Andrew Hatheway is also an underwriter for an insurance company and has been on church missions overseas. They also have a son, Joshua, who attends Ball State University.

“They’re an incredibly good family,” Warmke said. “They’re the kind of family that helps others in need. They’re encouragers, not discouragers.”

Tyler Hatheway was a member of the Pendleton Heights bowling team, which was sponsored by Cooper’s Sports Bowl in Anderson. His scores averaged in the 180s, said Cathy Cooper, co-owner of the bowling lanes at 1920 E. 53rd St.

“He was one of those kids and bowlers that was so calm, never showed any anger,” she said. “He always helped the younger kids and was just a very likeable young man and presented himself as very profesional as far as being up and positive.”

The team is scheduled to have a moment of silence for Hatheway at Tuesday’s practice. There is also talk of the team wearing armbands in Hatheway’s memory, she said.