John H. Hayden Sr. of Levittown died on Sunday, December 2, 2018 at Saint Mary Medical Center. He was 97. John was born in Philadelphia and graduated from Northeast Catholic High School. He proudly served in the Army during WWII, where he served in the Army Air Corps as a Technical Sergeant and Norden bombsight autopilot technician and instructor, deploying to the European theatre of operations. After the war, he returned to Philadelphia and married his beloved wife of 67 years, Doris M. Hayden, who preceded him in death in 2015. After briefly living in the Frankford section of the city, the young family moved to Levittown, where they were original residents.John retired as a design specialist for the former RCA Astro-Electronics Division in Heightstown, NJ, where he designed mechanical systems for early spacecraft and satellite missions. One of his accomplishments was leading a team of specialists who designed specialized mechanical systems for the Apollo 15 lunar rover vehicle.He was a founding member of Queen of the Universe parish. He was a skilled dancer, an avid sports enthusiast, and enjoyed his partnership in two harness horses that trained in NJ and raced locally at the former Liberty Bell Park. Most importantly, John was a good man, a man of integrity, and he was devoted to his family.John was the loving father of John H. Hayden Jr. (Elizabeth) of Columbia, MD, Patricia A. Rinehimer (the late Paul C.) of Levittown, Robert C. Hayden (Debra) of Glen Burnie, MD and Charlotte J. Miller (Edward Sr.) of Fairless Hills.He was the devoted grandfather of Jessica L. and Patrick H. Hayden, Jeffrey P. Rinehimer (Melissa) and Keith M. Rinehimer (Jennifer), Carianne Glasser (Christopher), Kevin R. Hayden, Lauren E. Wissman (Zachary), Lindsay C. Long (Thomas) and Edward R. Miller Jr. (Megan) and the great grandfather of John, Kyle, Eric, Sean, Jami Lynn, Mia, Ellie, Theo, Thomas Jr., Bridget May, and the late Skylar Rose and Camden.He will also be missed by many other extended family members.Family and friends are invited to call Tuesday, December 11th, 2018 from 8:15 until 9:15 a.m. at the James J. Dougherty Funeral Home, Inc., 2200 Trenton Rd., Levittown. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday, December 11th, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Grace Church in Penndel, followed by Rite of Committal at Washington Crossing National Cemetery, where John will rest with his beloved Dee Dee and take his place among his brothers and sisters of the Greatest Generation.In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Guardians of the National Cemetery, Washington Crossing National Cemetery, P.O. Box 233, Newtown, PA 18940-0233, www.guardiansofthenationalcemetery.org
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.9.5