Mrs. Phyllis Hayden

Born in Oregon in 1920, Phyllis Hayden lived a long and full life. Her pleasant demeanor and unassuming personality belied a deep inner strength and an adventurous spirit. At just five years old, she became a world traveler, sailing through the Panama Canal with her father, a sea captain. In addition to visiting many states across the country, and living in four, in later years she would travel to over ten countries, including Scotland, Norway, Honduras, Colombia, and Taiwan. She delighted in learning about new cultures and trying exotic cuisines, and any long hours on a train, plane, or ship provided a chance to indulge in her favorite leisure activities, reading and sewing cross-stitch. In 1943, she survived her first husband’s death, a casualty at sea in World War II. Four years later, she married Hank (Henry) Hayden of Maine and Massachusetts, with whom she had two sons, Richard and Philip. They settled in Horseheads, a small town just outside Elmira, NY. She eventually survived the death of her beloved Hank as well, in 1983. Although she initially joined the workforce as a secretary just after graduating high school, she later completed two years at the University of Oregon, and received her bachelor’s degree from Boston University. After raising her sons, she took a job as a secretary, first for a real estate agency and later working for the assistant superintendent in the Horseheads School District, retiring in 1988 after 20 years of faithful service. She lived on her own until the age of 85, continuing to enjoy traveling, leisurely pursuits at home, and volunteer activities until she moved to a senior living community. A few years later, she relocated to Albany, GA to live with her son Richard and his wife Belinda, due to health and age concerns. In Albany, she faithfully attended Porterfield Memorial United Methodist Church Sunday School class and services, and in volunteer work she sewed teddy bears for pediatric patients every week. She later moved into an assisted living facility, and finally to the Pruitt Health nursing home in Sylvester, GA, where she passed away peacefully in her sleep on July 2. She is survived by her sons Richard and Philip Hayden; their wives, Belinda and Carol; her six grandchildren: Nicole Semmens (Morgan), Jennifer Gonsalves, Michael Hayden (Anthony Lepore), Katie Miller (Scott), Matthew Hayden (Lauren Ostafinski), and Karen Hayden (Tom Heymann); seven great-grandchildren: Zachary and Leigh Semmens, Emma and Asher Gonsalves, Emmett and Zoe Miller, and Henry Hayden; as well as several nieces and nephews, and grand-nieces and grand-nephews. Visitation will be at Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Home in Albany, GA on Friday, July 7 from 5pm-6:30pm. Funeral services will be held in Horseheads, NY on Saturday, July 15. Memorials may be made to either Porterfield Memorial UMC, 2200 Dawson Rd., Albany GA 31707, or The American Macular Degeneration Foundation, P.O. Box 515, Northampton, MA 01061-0515.

Mrs. Phyllis Hayden

September 16, 1920 - July 2, 2017