John Franklin Hayward

John Franklin Hayward

John Franklin Hayward, a lifelong Toledo resident and leader in the local legal community, died on January 27, 2024, from complications of Parkinson's disease at the age of 86.

John was both a bibliophile and logophile with an encyclopedic knowledge. His children (and their trepid friends) recall many family dinners where they were asked either to proffer a new vocabulary word, participate in a spelling test, or both. A voracious reader, accomplished attorney, and dapper dresser, John was often teased by his family that he was "born in a suit." But he didn't always take himself too seriously–he once donned a red cardigan and posed for a picture with his doppelgänger, Fred Rogers.

John was born on November 3, 1937, to Franklin and Anna Mae (Shea) Hayward, the eldest of four children. His parents, also lifelong Toledo residents, met as young adults in a local theater group, the Chevron Players. John and his family spent their summers at their cottage on Lake Erie in La Salle, Michigan. While other kids enjoyed playing on the beach, John pulled up his chair in the shallow part of the lake to read a book alongside the table of his mother's bridge group.

John grew up in the Old West End, attended Rosary Cathedral grade school, and graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1955, where he served as senior class president. As a senior at Central, he won the National Oratorical Contest sponsored by the Sons of the American Revolution. John graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1959, on a Navy ROTC scholarship, where he was a member of the Blue Circle Honor Society, winner of the Notre Dame Dome Award, and again served as senior class president. While a student there, he met his wife of 41 years, Mary Beth (Ludwig) Hayward. She predeceased him in January 2004. After graduating from Notre Dame, John was commissioned for active duty with the U.S. Navy, serving as a navigator aboard the U.S.S. Independence.

After serving in the Navy, John graduated from Georgetown University Law Center. In 1966, after receiving the highest grade in the state on the Ohio Bar Examination, he returned to Toledo to practice law with his father and served as an Assistant Lucas County Prosecuting Attorney. In 1971, he was asked to serve as Special Counsel to the late Ohio Attorney General William J. Brown on the Kent State University cases. Upon completion of that assignment, John was one of the founding partners in the firm Hayward, Cooper, Straub, Walinski, & Cramer, where he practiced until 1981. He then joined Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick LLP, specializing in health care law.

At the age of 67, John "retired" from the practice of law to become the President of Mercy College of Ohio. He had been involved with the former Mercy School of Nursing for nearly 40 years as legal counsel, a board member, and eventually Chairman of the Board, before becoming President in 2005. Under his leadership, Mercy College increased its academic offerings, doubled the size of its physical space, invested $2 million in improvements to the physical plant, and established the Mercy College Foundation and governing Board of Directors. John retired from Mercy College in 2014.

John's legacy of community service was extensive. In addition to his service on the Board of Mercy College, he helped lead the boards of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library and the Toledo and Ohio State Bar Associations. Upon his father, Franklin's, death in 1973, John was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library to serve Franklin's unexpired term. During his service on the Board, John was the impetus for creating the Library Legacy Foundation and helped facilitate the 2001 renovation and 271,000 square foot expansion of the Main Library.

John was a devoted member of the Toledo Bar Association, and he served as President in 1992. He was actively involved in the Ohio State Bar Association, serving on the Council of Delegates and Board of Governors. He was also a Fellow of the Ohio State Bar Foundation, serving on the Board from 1991 to 1999 and as President in 1997.

After the death of his wife, Mary Beth, John found love again and married Jeanie (Bugert) Hayward in 2005, and she survives him. Also surviving are his sisters, Kristi Brewer of Columbus, and Sally (Charles) Marlowe of Toledo; brother, Richard (Patricia) of Toronto, Ontario; children, John P. Hayward (Patricia McCormick) of Perrysburg, Thomas Hayward (Tom Wright) of Lexington, Kentucky, Bridget (John) Kahle of Columbus, and Ethan (Melinda) Hayward of Waterford, Michigan; stepchildren, Michael Bugert (Angie) of Toled, Kristi DelVerne (James) of Toledo, Gretchen Williams (Ryan) of Prior Lake, Minnesota, and Jennifer Norman (Chad) of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina; grandchildren, Benjamin (Ashley), and Ian Bonifas, Emma, Grant, and Cecily Hayward, Anna, Elizabeth, and Caroline Kahle, Megan and Amelia Hayward; great granddaughter, Elizabeth Bonifas; step-grandchildren, Theodore, Lindsay, and Megan Bugert, Amanda, William, Nicole, Olivia, and Sophia DelVerne, Abigail and Courtney Williams, Cooper, Graham, and Zoe Norman; and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to Mary Beth, John was preceded in death by his daughter, Elizabeth Hayward Bonifas.

In his free time, John enjoyed gathering with his Notre Dame classmates at their annual game, his monthly gatherings with the "Little Shrimps," and an annual trip to the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Canada. John loved books, history, politics, The New York Times crossword, traveling, and a dry Beefeater's martini on the rocks with a twist. A lifelong pragmatist, his advice to his children included: "Stand up straight and try to look like you know where you're going." He was a gifted wordsmith, and was once quoted as saying, "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy." Wise words indeed.

A visitation will be held Friday, February 9, 2024, from 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Walker Funeral Home, 5155 Sylvania Ave., Toledo, OH 43623. A memorial Mass will be celebrated Saturday, February 10, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Corpus Christi University Parish, 2955 Dorr St., Toledo, OH 43607. It was John's wish that any memorial tributes be made in the form of charitable contributions to the Library Legacy Foundation of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library. Online condolences to the family may be made at:

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