Robert P. Hayward

"Born August 18, 1925 at 12:32 PM on a hot, humid day at Prospect Heights Hospital, Brooklyn, New York. At 86, still going strong, ah,--relatively that is." (He left his earth suit and entered heaven's gates on May 14, 2012.) He was the only child of Charles and Grace Parsons Hayward. His growing up years were spent in Garden City, a charming village on Long Island, NY.

He graduated from high school on Friday evening in 1943 and was sworn into the Navy's V-12 program on Monday morning. Commissioned Ensign in March of '45, and after additional training, he received orders to report to Ron 20, Mindoro, Philippine Is. as executive officer on PT 240. In early 1946, he contracted polio and was hospitalized there until he was shipped to the Navy Hospital, Chelsea, MA. In July of 1947, he was released from active duty and promoted to Lieutenant, Junior Grade.

That fall, he enrolled at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA, and joined Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. He graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1950. "I graduated from WPI right square in the middle of my class, and that would have been higher than many engineering schools."

He used his degree at General Electric in Schenectady and other firms around the northeast. In 1975, he brought his father to Portland to be remarried. While there he skied on Mt. Hood. He had heard about Seattle where you ski in the morning and sail in the afternoon (which he did). He sold his home and became a northwesterner...he often said he only wished he had come sooner.

Bob was a very active, adventuresome man and Mary often says, "I just grab his hand and go flying along behind." He made every experience fun. He skied until he was 72, he had an iceboat, played golf and tennis, RVed the country, climbed Mt. Rainer and sailed. He often said when you had a power boat your destination was where you dropped anchor, but destination to a sailor was when you got the sails up.

But, his passion was volunteering. "When I retired I said, no decisions, tell me what you want and I'll do my best and if I don't know how to do it-teach me. And you don't have to be an expert to volunteer. Why do I say volunteering is a wonderful gift? Because it is one of both giving and receiving. Receiving is the satisfaction that comes from giving of yourself. Come try it, you'll like it!"

However, post polio syndrome claimed his strength and stamina so that he could no longer work at church, repair durable equipment, repair wooden boats, or maintain Christian camps, or even read with struggling students at the elementary school. He missed it so much!

Bob is survived by his loving wife, Mary, his children Leigh (Bruce) Failing and Peter Hayward and stepchildren, Dwight Knell, Caroline (Jon Kroman) Delius and Philip (Mary) Knell and eight wonderful grandchildren.

Jesus told us that He was going to prepare mansions for us...surely God has given Bob a tool box because he volunteered to help build them.

The quotes are from Bob's Book: A Collection of Vignettes...