Ronald Hayes Hayward
October 10, 1912 – August 13, 2011

Ron was born October 10, 1912 in Fowlerton , Texas, but soon moved to Colorado where he grew up on the family farm with three brothers and one sister. Ron found time for music while growing up, playing various brass instruments in High School and in the Denver Post Boy's Band. Ron graduated from South High School in Denver and attended Colorado School of Mines before dropping out to help the family during the depression.

His interest in minerals and mining led him to the gold fields of Colorado, including involvement in the "The American Mine," one of the last mother lode strikes near Leadville. While chasing gold and silver, he met a fellow with a sister in Denver. Ron got to know Lucille on the periodic trips away from the mountains; they were married in October of 1936. They started married life in "one of the least spectacular parts of the world," Searchlight, Nevada," where Ron worked in a gold mining operation. When the ore played out they left the tarantulas and rattlesnakes to return to the mountains where Ron took a job at the Climax Molybdenum Co. in Climax, Colorado.

Their first child, Donna Lucille, was born in Leadville, but died at age 17 days, unable to handle the thin air at the nearly 12, 000 foot elevation. Ron's first son, Wes, was born in 1939. Their life was interrupted by the onset of World War II. Poor eyesight prevented Ron from military service, but wanting to participate, they moved to Denver where he took a job with Remington Arms, an ammunition manufacturer. He was transferred to another division of DuPont in Washington to work on a project known to be important, but otherwise confusing to the participants. Lucille eventually joined him in Richland, now with an addition, their second son, Dennis.

Ron and Lucille spent the rest of their married life in Richland. Ron worked at Hanford until retirement. The boys graduated from WSU and headed for other corners of the American West. Ron's family grew with the addition of two daughters-in-laws, three grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Lucille died in 2002 at age 87. Shortly afterward, Ron moved into a retirement facility in Richland. In 2008 he moved to Hearthstone Assisted Living in Beaverton, Oregon, to be close to his family. He lived there until his death at age 98. Ron is survived by a brother Robert Ruth and his sons Wes Charlene and Dennis Cheryl.

The "golden rule" personified, Ron was a truly wise and good person. Known for his kind, gentle, responsible and reliable nature, he lead by example and was a dedicated and great husband and father. He will be missed by all who ever crossed his path.

A graveside service is scheduled at Sunset Memorial Gardens on Thursday, August 18th, at 10 AM.