Robert Thomas Hayden

Robert Thomas Hayden passed away on March 21, 2025 after living a wonderful life. Bob was born September 23, 1943 in Santa Ana, California and grew up in Flushing, Queens, New York and Perrine, Florida. He was the devoted son of Robert and Estelle, and the loving brother of Ricky. He loved and was loved by his wife Maria, his daughter Kate, his son Rob, and his dog Charlie. Kate, her husband Travis and their son Brooks; Rob, his wife Bea, and their children Hudson and Penelope, brought him endless joy.

Bob was an altar boy at St. Theresa's School in Coral Gables and was in the first graduating class of Palmetto High School, where he was a star basketball player. He was a 1971 graduate of the University of Miami Medical School and was a proud and steadfast fan of the Hurricanes. He loved collegiate football and basketball. To him, there was nothing better than an underdog Jesuit school beating the favorite on a last second free throw.

Bob was a Major in the United States Army, stationed in Okinawa, Japan. There, he developed a lifelong appreciation for the Japanese aesthetic and especially loved cherry blossoms, which are beautiful but short-lived.

He moved to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida in 1980 where he and Maria met while working in the operating room of Good Samaritan Hospital. They married in 1985 and built their home in PGA National, where they raised their children and grandchildren over the ensuing 38 years.

He practiced medicine for 43 years, 33 of those in Palm Beach County. He delivered well over a thousand babies, some the children of children he had delivered 30 years prior. He was past president of the Palm Beach OBGYN Society, past chief of Obstetrics, and past chief of Gynecology at Good Samaritan Hospital. During an era when the practice of medicine changed profoundly Bob held steadfast in the time, attention and care he gave to his patients.

After Bob's retirement in 2013, he and Maria traveled extensively and divided their time between their homes in Palm Beach Gardens and Weatherford, Texas. In both places, they were blessed with good friends and the opportunity to watch their family grow.

In addition to his immediate family Bob is survived by his cousins, Michael and Elyse Filon, Michele Filon, Lynn and Willis Boughton, Paul and Faye Tambrino; and his sister-in-law Dana Guzman and her family.

Among many, many things, Bob will be remembered for his offbeat humor and his love of photography, model airplanes, Steinbeck, Hemingway, Tom Clancy, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, The Eagles, Aerosmith, Taylor Swift, Casablanca,The Karate Kid, Carmel California, Disney World, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation; and sitting on his back porch during golden time, sipping a good bourbon.

A funeral mass will be held Saturday, March 29th at 11:00am at St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church in North Palm Beach. Interment will follow at Riverside Memorial Park in Tequesta.

Contributions in Bob’s memory may be made to the University of Miami Medical School, Trustbridge Hospice, or the Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County.