William Marshall Hadden

William Marshall (Bill) Hadden was born on January 11, 1957, in Evanston, Illinois, to Don and Kay Hadden. In his early childhood, he lived in Northbrook, Illinois, and later moved to Arlington, Texas, as a teenager.

Bill graduated from Arlington High School, and even then, his personality was showing through. Wanting to make absolutely sure the principal pronounced “Hadden” correctly at graduation, Bill calmly handed him a pronunciation key before crossing the stage.

During his life, Bill lived in Pasadena, Texas, Biloxi, Mississippi, Pensacola, Florida, and Lake City, Florida, before returning to Arlington.

Bill had many interests and talents. He was an accomplished tennis player with a serve few could return. While still in high school, he used money earned mowing lawns to buy a ski boat and loved taking family and friends water skiing on Lake Arlington. He also enjoyed working with his hands and, while living in Florida, took classes in bricklaying and built several structures from concrete block.

Life was not always easy for Bill, but through his experiences, God shaped him into a caring and compassionate man with a remarkable servant’s heart. Bill noticed when someone needed something, and once he decided to help, he rarely did it halfway.

When he learned that friends Mik and Julie’s Home Group needed Bibles, Bill made sure they had plenty to give away. When Julie casually mentioned that she was looking for a milk can, milk cans began appearing on her front porch until she finally convinced him she had enough. Friends Brent and Susie were visiting from Ohio when Brent alluded that he needed to get a new pair of sandals. On their return trip, Brent was struggling to fit 3 new pairs into his suitcase courtesy of Bill. And when his brother-in-law Joe bought a sailboat, sailing shirts and anchors soon began appearing on his porch as well!

That was Bill. If one was good, several were better.

Bill married the love of his life, Geri, on September 15, 2018. He embraced his new family wholeheartedly and quickly began finding ways to care for them. After just one visit with Aunt Marie, he made sure she received a much-needed lift chair. For his great-granddaughter Bailey, Bill started a college fund and had already made a generous contribution toward her future.

His kindness wasn’t reserved only for family. Bill regularly helped his elderly next-door neighbor, Nelson, giving him rides to the store and helping with whatever was needed. He also treasured his friendship with Richard, a customer he met while working at Walmart. Bill was always willing to drive over, lend a hand, or simply spend some time with his friend.

Bill’s generosity wasn’t something he talked about. It was simply how he lived. He saw needs that others might overlook and quietly did what he could to meet them. For Bill, caring about someone usually meant doing something for them.

On Saturday, August 8, Bill suffered cardiac arrest while working at Town Talk. Help came almost immediately. A police officer began CPR, and a customer used a defibrillator. Bill was rushed to a Fort Worth hospital and, remarkably, returned home five days later. He was later readmitted to the hospital, and although we hoped and prayed for a full recovery, God called him Home to Heaven on Saturday, September 5.

Only afterward did we realize just how precious those extra weeks had been. They were a gift. More time to talk, more time to laugh, more time to love him, and more time simply to have Bill with us.

We will miss his big smile, his kindness, his generosity, and the unmistakable way he cared for people. We will miss the unexpected things appearing on the porch, pumpkins every fall and a fern plant every spring, and the way Bill could turn a simple need into a personal mission.

But we are grateful for the years God gave us with him, grateful for those precious extra weeks, and comforted by the knowledge that this goodbye is not forever. We will see him in Heaven.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Don and Kay Hadden, and his brother, Jay. He is survived by his wife, Geri; his sister, Donna, and her husband, Joe; his stepsons, Todd and his wife, Carissa, and Robbie; as well as numerous grandchildren, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Bill leaves behind something far more lasting than the things he gave. He leaves the example of a man who noticed people, cared about their needs, and gave freely of himself.

And perhaps that is one of the best ways to remember Bill:

He saw a need, and he filled it.