Thomas Hayward

Thomas G. Hayward, born May 10, 1954, passed away on May 31, 2015. Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Russell and Cecelia Hayward; his brothers Harry Williams, William Hayward, and Douglas Hayward; and his sister Rhoda Leasure. Thomas is survived by his wife, Evelyn Hayward of Hillsboro, Ore.; and siblings Carol Hayward, John Hayward and Rodger Hayward of Metlakatla; Bonnie Hayward of Bellingham, Wash.; Jill Enright of Hermiston, Ore.; and Keith Hayward of Juneau, Alaska; and many loving nieces and nephews.

Thomas graduated from Metlakatla High School in 1972. He attended Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, Alaska, majoring in fisheries, and later ITT Technical Institute, earning a degree in electronics in 1996. Thomas had a variety of working experiences including the Alaska Pipeline, working at Prudeau Bay and Valdeez; and Alaska Fish and Game doing stream surveys of salmon in Petersburg, Alaska.

The event that truly changed his life and gave him his great Faith and Hope for eternity was in 1979 while at Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, Alaska, having the Gospel of Christ brought into his life, his embracing the teachings of Jesus in their purity and entirety and beginning to walk therein from that time on. He placed the highest value in all his life in Christ and this carried him through his health struggles as his health declined for a number of years, until his passing of cardiac failure.

In 1991 he married Evelyn Tremaine in Jerome, Idaho, thereby starting another journey beginning in Idaho working for the White Satin Sugar Factory, and then that traversed three states: Alaska, Washington, Montana, and finally here to Hillsboro in 1997, to work at Intel and other electronics companies until his health forced him to retire. There were many things Thomas enjoyed along life's journey: hiking, running, climbing Mt. Rainier, writing a book, his friends; but most of all he enjoyed all activities connected with his Faith and the dear ministers and friends. This gave him total peace those last days, for which we are all so grateful.