ASCUTNEY, VT– Victor Robert Hayward, 84, passed away on Friday, March 7, 2025, surrounded by loved ones at Mt. Ascutney Hospital after a long and valiant battle with COPD.
Victor was born on August 6, 1940, to Catrena (Porter) and Robert Eugene Hayward at Carrie F. Wright Hospital in Newport, NH. Victor was a Polio survivor at age 3 and attended school in Croydon and Newport. As a young man Victor held many jobs in local shoe shops and foundries, he went on to work for over twenty years at Goodyear Tire & Rubber in Windsor, VT. He was a member of the Lebanon Elks, the Newport Foresters, and the Cornish Blow Me Down Snowriders.
His marriage to Merrily Ingalls Shepard in 1971 spanned more than five decades. Merrily has provided compassionate day to day care for Victor throughout his health battles. During healthier times they enjoyed dancing and travel, annual vacations along the New Hampshire and Maine coastlines, a few cross-country adventures to California, many western National Parks, and Las Vegas, and a once in a lifetime cruise to Alaska and the Artic Circle with his sister Gloria and her husband John.
Although a man of few words, Victor displayed love in big and small ways. He was a reliable father and loving grandfather. Victor helped coach his children’s little league team and was a mainstay in the cheering section for his grandchildren’s sporting and performing events. His Native American spirit brought his love of nature to all of his children and grandchildren as they picked wild blackberries and fiddleheads, hiked Mt. Ascutney, and hunted the woods of NH. Victor believed the “smiley face” was his personal logo and he played games for hours: cribbage, Monopoly, Scrabble and Texas Hold-Em, and he dreamed of the day that he would be well enough to once again trek south to Foxwood Casino.
Victor’s large and loving family includes his wife Merrily; daughter Terry Hayward (Kevin); sons Jeff (Sherry) Hayward and Randy (the late Linda) Hayward; step-children Dayna (Tony) Wood and Rob (April) Shepard; siblings Gloria (John) McDonough, Kenneth (Diane) Lurvey, the late Nancy Barnes, the late Ross Lurvey, the late Amber Brown; grandchildren Dylan, Austin, Ashley, Kendra, Randy, Jr., Victoria, Jessica, Lauren, Micah, Nicholas, Jordan, Noah, Jesse, Matthew, Zachary, and Kayla; siblings-in-law Andre (the late Martha) Ingalls, Jane (the late Gerald) McAllister; parents-in-law the late Earle and Nancy Ingalls; a growing number of great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
A small memorial gathering for immediate family and close friends will be held at Martin Memorial Hall in Weathersfield on Sunday, March 30th at 11am. A public graveside interment service will be held on Saturday, April 26th at Ascutneyville Cemetery at 11am. Knight Funeral Home of Windsor, VT has been entrusted with arrangements and online condolences are invited at www.knightfuneralhomes.com.
