PAUL HADDEN

A MAN WHO LOVED HIS FAMILY, SPORTS AND SWISS CHALET

Big Paul passed away in his 88th year on Friday February 13, following an infection complication from his longstanding battle with diabetes. Standing at 6”6, the only thing that overshadowed Big Paul’s giant frame was his giant heart. Big Paul loved many things including a good joke. When he was first admitted to Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington, his Dr gave him about three months to live. When Big Paul said he wasn’t sure he could pay the bill on time, his Dr gave him another three months. Most importantly Big Paul loved his family, who as its oldest member served as its Chairman Emeritus. He is survived by his wife of 62 years Patricia; his sons Glenn and Mark Hadden; his nieces Jocelyn (aka ‘Josie’), Samantha and Charlotte Hadden; his Daughter-in-law Susanna Hadden; his brother-in-law Geoff Cox; and his extended family from Tucson AZ of Hector and Joan Alvarez; Joseph Alvarez; David, Holly, Gabe and Gillian Alvarez; and Dr Jonathan Alvarez. As one of the main dudes of our big family, Big Paul’s spirit, character and charisma will be sadly missed. For many, he was the best guy they knew. Life was never about him, it was always about everyone else - and that included not just Big Paul’s family but also his friends from Toronto, Port Rowan and at The Williamsburg retirement residences in Burlington ON; his many Dr’s, nurses and physical therapists who worked tirelessly to keep him healthy; friends of family members; cashiers at the checkout counter and just about anyone whose life intersected with his own.

Big Paul was raised in Toronto’s Leaside neighborhood by his parents Eugene and Vera Hadden along with his younger sister Ruth. He attended Leaside High and graduated from what was known as Ryerson Institute of Technology (now TMU) in 1960. Big Paul and the love of his life Pat met on a blind date in 1962, married in 1964 and moved from midtown Toronto to what then was a new subdivision in easternmost Scarborough known as Rouge Hill to start their family. As well as raising his boys Glenn and Mark there, Big Paul was an active member of the East Scarborough community centred around his incredible love of all things sports. Big Paul helped create and ran the Pickering Men’s Basketball League, the West Hill Men’s Slo-Pitch League as well as coaching the East Scarborough Girls Softball team, where several of his players ended up representing Team Canada Softball in the Olympics. These endeavors followed Big Paul’s running of the Toronto Men’s Touch Football League and the Toronto Financial Softball League.

His love of sports and jokes collided as despite being a proud Toronto resident his entire life, Big Paul was a lifelong Montreal Canadiens fan. Perhaps, like his youngest son Mark, a similarly lifelong Toronto resident but who cheers for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, he was dropped on his head as a young child.

Big Paul also loved the Raiders of the NFL, and the Blue Jays, whom he was proud to have attended their Opening Day Game on April 7, 1977 while sitting in the snow. Big Paul even adopted the fandom of his oldest son Glenn by becoming a loyal supporter of the Toronto Argonauts, the Atlanta Braves, Western Mustangs Football, Secaucus NJ Expos Baseball, and the University of Arizona Wildcats football, baseball and especially basketball teams where he spent his last decade sitting court-side and cheering loudly while being widely known as The Canada Cat. He got to know many people and players within these great teams and programs and they all brought him untold amounts of joy and comradeship particularly in his retirement years. We would particularly like to thank all the members of these organizations who treated Big Paul as if he were one of their own, whose individual names are too plentiful to mention.

Big Paul enjoyed a successful career on Bay Street, which like both of his sons, began as a bond trader. He proved his intelligence by transitioning away from bonds and becoming a stock trader where he spent the majority of that part of his career working at Canada Life Investment Management. He was affectionately known in the Bay Street financial community as ‘The Doctor’ for reasons unbeknownst to anyone in his family. His love of investing and markets alongside his good nature and character were handed down to both his sons, who have enjoyed similarly successful multi-decade Bay Street and Wall Street careers. Glenn and Mark’s (and Susanna’s) success in finance was a tremendous source of pride for Big Paul, not to mention also being a convenient source of stock quotes and insight into the next interest rate moves by the Federal Reserve and Bank of Canada.

In his retirement years, Big Paul drove a school van for Stock Transportation to allow Scarborough kids to safely get to schools such as the Metro Toronto School for the Deaf. He was such a beloved member of this community that in his later years he was coached keenly by his colleagues in how to pass his annual mandated drivers test, which he always did. Big Paul was also an enthusiastic supporter of The Hadden Family Foundation that has donated millions of dollars to support youth education and development across Toronto and Scarborough. While Big Paul wasn’t from Scarborough, he certainly was of Scarborough having spent 43 years of his great life living there.

Big Paul almost never had a sad day in his life and while many feel great sorrow in no longer being able to hear his frequently chanted “it’s a beeee-uuuuuuu-ti-fulllll dayyyyy out”, he wouldn’t wish that sadness on anyone. So please rejoice that the world had almost 88 years of Big Paul and remember the goodness and positivity that he brought to everyone on a daily basis.

Our family would like to thank the staffs of Hamilton General Hospital and Joseph Brant Hospital, particularly the tireless and compassionate efforts of Dr Alison Sumner.

Big Paul will be remembered with a service at St. Dunstan of Canterbury Church, at 56 Lawson Rd in Scarborough ON, Saturday February 21st at 11am. A reception will follow. Donations can be made to The University of Western Ontario or The University of Arizona, whose football and basketball teams brought Big Paul so much joy and whose academic programs educated his family for two generations.

“The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him”
- Proverbs 20:7

“It’s been a slice…..”
- Big Paul 1939-2026 in his infamous sign-off