Dr. Robert William Hayden

Dr. Robert William Hayden, 77, of Wilton, NH and formerly of Ashland, NH, died Saturday, October 9, 2021.

Bob was born in Hartford, CT to Ralph D. and Margaret (Ahern) Hayden. He graduated Ellington High School in Ellington, CT as Valedictorian of the Class of 1962. He attended MIT for undergraduate studies, earned a master’s degree from University of Connecticut, and went on to receive a PhD from Iowa State University. He served as a Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at Plymouth State University for more than a decade, where he prided himself on making the subject matter more accessible to those students who struggled with math. In fact, his favorite students were students of nursing, social work, and education for whom math did not come naturally, but who still put in the extra effort to complete the required math courses for their areas of study. He truly admired their drive and determination and would do everything in his ability to help them grasp the material.
Bob wrote articles for math and statistics journals and was published many times. He also coauthored children’s math study books that have been used for years in classrooms across the United States. Though he dedicated his life to his chosen profession, Bob maintained many other hobbies and interests. Bob had a great affinity for old factories, mill buildings, and other technical sites that combined function with production. He loved apples and apple trees, spending every autumn foraging for new and different apples to sample, and he also loved to travel throughout the US and Canada. He loved old Buicks, especially those from the 1950s. Bob took an active interest in the lives of his nieces and nephews, enthusiastically showing up for them in support of their various activities and studies. Though Bob held no religious faith of his own, he was endlessly grateful for the thoughts and prayers of hundreds of people across the country who kept a place for him on their prayer lists.
Bob is survived by his siblings, Jean Hayden Anderson of Manchester, NH, Gerald D. Hayden of Vernon, VT, Shirley A. Hayden and her husband Tom Sherman of Ashland, MA, and Richard R. Hayden and his wife Nan of Union, CT. He also leaves his adopted sister Dawn Charron of Wallingford, CT. He leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and his dear friend of more than forty years, Farid Kianifard of Madison, NJ, who was like a son to Bob.
Services will be private. In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to Amesbury Carriage Museum, PO Box 252, Amesbury, MA 01913 or The Buick Club of America, c/o Cornerstone Registration, Ltd., PO Box 1715, Maple Grove, MN 55311-6715
Phaneuf Funeral Homes & Crematorium is assisting the family with arrangements. To view an online memorial, leave a message of condolence, or for more information please go to www.phaneuf.net.