John William Hayden

John W. Hayden passed away on October 6, 2022 as a result of a recent fall.

John was born on November 15, 1925 in Newkirk, OK, to John A. and Gertrude Hayden. He was predeceased by his siblings Dorwin, Mary, and Walfred. With his father a Santa Fe Railroad worker, John was entitled to free rides to Chicago while growing up, the start of a lifelong interest in travel. After high school graduation, he took night classes while working as a ticket agent for the Santa Fe in Cleveland. During the Korean War, he served in a unit that managed port operations, sending weekly letters home, beginning what became a career as a writer. Upon return, he attended Oberlin College and became the first one in his family to graduate from college (1955). There he met his future wife, Mary-Jean Benjamin, a fellow English major. John did post-graduate work for a year in London, where he and Mary-Jean honed their deep love of travel, hitchhiking throughout Europe. John and Mary-Jean then lived in New York City where John wrote articles for the annual "Book of Knowledge." In 1959 they moved with their first child, Geoffrey, to Moylan, PA, and had two more children, John and Elizabeth. After several years as a freelance writer, John took a job at the University of Pennsylvania as editor of the alumni magazine for the Medical, Dental, Nursing, and Veterinary Schools. When their children had completed high school, John and Mary-Jean moved to West Philadelphia and later to Center City. John finished his career at Penn as Director of Special Events.

After retiring he maintained a connection with Penn by taking an evening course every semester well into his 90s. In addition, John took over shopping, cooking, and household management while Mary-Jean continued to work at the Curtis Institute of Music. He also volunteered for several years at the Franklin Institute.

John and Mary-Jean traveled together throughout Europe, Mexico, Southeast Asia, and Turkey. John also took adventurous trips with other family members to Guatemala, Egypt, Spain, and Cambodia.

John predeceased his wife, Mary-Jean, by only three days. In addition to their children Geoffrey, John, and Elizabeth and their spouses Carolyn, Jess, and Chavis, John leaves four grandchildren: Kathryn, Sonya, and Julia Hayden, and Benjamin Patterson. A private memorial service will be held at a later time.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in John's memory to either The College of General Studies Scholarship Fund at the University of Pennsylvania or The Alzheimer's Association.