John Louise "Jack" Hayden

Feb 14, 1935 -

May 31, 2020

A dear kind man died today from brain failure dementia, that horrid thing that stole the essence of who he was: John, known as Jack his whole life by his family and friends.

He was born in Arequipa, Peru, South America, to American SDA missionary parents. He lived in Peru until he was 14 years old, when he returned to the United States to attend private boarding school. He graduated from Walla Walla University with Bachelor of Science degrees in physical education and industrial education in 1958, and from the University of California at San Francisco with a Master of Science degree in special education in 1966. He spent two years in the United States Army from 1958-1960.

He married Rose Marie Beltz in Medford, Ore., in 1960. He loved swimming and learned to swim in the Amazon River and taught swimming his whole life. Many summers were spent being the water safety instructor at summer camps. He was the principal of the special education programs in Placer and Contra Costa Counties in California, where he and his staff provided many enriching opportunities for his students such as Jeep safaris, camping in the Sierras, and going to the San Francisco opera. He was passionate about providing many experiences for his special needs students.

In 1979, he moved his family to rural Alaska along the Yukon River in Galena and Lower Yukon School District in Russian Mission, Sheldon Point and Emmonak, teaching swimming, skiing and other life skills until his retirement in 1999.

His family includes his wife of 60 years, Rose Marie (Beltz) Hayden; sons, Gregory Hayden (Katherine Klenke Hayden) and Jonathan Hayden (Kaui Taylor Hayden); grandsons, Cameron, Kyle, Connor, Jack and Haloa; and three great-grandchildren, Ryker, Riley Rose and Declan.

He lived in Palmer, Alaska, from 2003. He was cared for by the most kind loving caregivers in the world at the Palmer VA Pioneer Home from 2017 until his death in 2020.