Obituary of Joseph Hayden

HAYDEN, Joseph Milton, CMSGT, USAF (Ret.) 74, died Sunday, July 20, 2003, surrounded by his family at his home in Zephyrhills, Fla. Born January 19, 1929, in Brooklyn, N.Y. to Milton and Margaret Hayden and raised in the Catskill Mountains town of Windham N.Y., he graduated from Windham-Ashland- Jewett High School (Class of 1946). Chief Hayden enlisted In 1948 and proudly served our country for 28 years in the United States Air Force, retiring as a Chief Master Sergeant in 1976. A flight engineer, he flew in the Berlin Airlift, Korean War, and Viet Nam War. While living in North Falmouth, Mass. and stationed at Ot is AFB, (1955-1970) Joseph flew Lockheed EC-121 Super- Constellation radar planes over the North Atlantic protecting the USA from Soviet ballistic missiles. Sgt. Hayden later assisted Lockheed's engineers to modify the EC-121 for service over Viet Nam. A graduate of the USAF Senior NCO Academy, Chief Hayden spent his later career as a First Sergeant at MacClellan AFB Sacramento, Cal if., Westover AFB Chicopee Falls, Mass., Homestead AFB, Fla., and Pt. Arena AF Radar Station, Calif. After retirement, he settled in Zephyrhills, Fla. and earned a BS degree from New College, Sarasota, Fla. and a Master of Public Administration degree from University of South Florida, Tampa, Fla. He was one of the founders of the Air Force Sergeants' Association and a lifetime member. He was also a member of th e Disabled American Veterans, and St. Joseph Catholic Church. His hobbies included auto mechanics, real estate investing, reading, genealogy, old movies and older limericks. Joseph is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Beulah E. (Van Etten) Hayden of Lexington, N.Y.; seven adult children, Thomas Hayden, Matthew Hayden, and Barbara Wentz of Zephyrhills, Fla., Sharon Kennedy of Hanson, Mass., Kevin Hayden of Portland, Ore., Margaret Hayden of Eugene, Ore., and Mark Hayden of Mashpee, Mass. He also leaves his big brother, Thomas Hayden of Port St. Luce, Fla.; sixteen grandchildren: Maureen, Robert, Jason, Alanna, Alida, Rebekah, Amber, Danielle, Johannah, Sarah, Elizabeth, Chantal, Christopher, Jordan, Ira, and Dylan; eleven great-grandchildren: Allison, Jessica, Angela, Rachel, Hayde n, Brian, Chloe, Xavier, Hannah, Julia, and Ashley; and numerous nieces and nephews. He is loved and will be missed by all of his family and friends. A Funeral Mass will be held at the St. Joseph Catholic Ch urch, 16th St. (corner of 5th Ave.) Zephyrhills, Fla. on Thursday, July 31, at 10 a.m. A graveside service will take place in his hometown of Windham, N.Y. at a date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, memo rial donations may be made to the Salvation Army, St. Anthony School in San Antonio, Fla., or your local Hospice organization. WHITFIELD FUNERAL HOME OUR HOMETOWN FAMILY SERVING YOUR FAMILY 813- 783-9900