Harry Denham Hayward

Harry Denham Hayward was born in Gladstone on March 14th, 1931 to Mary & Harry Hayward.

Dad started school when he was 6 and went to Foxwarren Consolidated School. Took his lunch in a pail which was an old 5 lb syrup can. In the wintertime, kids had to get on a farm sleigh with a box on it, box had seats on the side and a big canvas top on it, door in the back, driver sat up front, had a window to see out of and a slot where the reins were tied. Had to leave at 6am to go about 5 miles and pick up other kids-school started at 9am and ended at 4pm but Dad and his siblings wouldn’t get home until 6:30 or 7:00pm. Dad still had energy enough to enjoy the skating rink at the end of the school yard and after lunch each day during the winter, they would all skate.

Life wasn’t easy in the 30’s. Dad’s father lost his farm during the depression. Because Dad’s father couldn’t find work Dad didn’t see him much. In Grade 4 his family moved to Portage and his parents worked for the Kroslin’s. Dad did not like the Mrs. Kroslin. The mistress of the house, Maddie she was proper and not very nice. Dad’s words “she was a hoity toity lady that thought she owned everybody and sat on the Queen’s knee and the Hayward’s were servants”!

Dad stayed in school until Grade 10 due to his father freezing his foot so Dad was forced to do his chores to help feed the family. Dad never shied away from hard work.

Thankfully his life, although maybe not easier, became much happier when Dad met the love of his wife Pearl in a coffee shop in Portage La Prairie. They were married August 11th, 1950.

Dad started working at the Manitoba Telephone System (MTS) in 1950 which moved him from Portage La Prairie to Winnipeg to Thompson and eventually to Brandon as he went up the corporate ladder and decided to retire in Brandon after 35 years of service in 1985.

While living in Portage, Dad coached a woman’s hockey team as well as a woman’s baseball team. In 1970 during the Queen’s visit to Canada, Dad was approached by the baseball association when Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip came to Portage to attend a game. Dad chaperoned them to the game, answering all their questions and being an unofficial baseball ambassador.

Dad was passionate about history, especially World War II and the role that the Airforce played. This probably dates back to when Dad was a boy and a training plane crashed nearby his house. In that regard, Dad was one of the founders of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum. This project took him all over the place locating airplanes and odds and ends for the museum. Once he went as far as he could finding artifacts, along with others, he knew there needed to be a record of the lives lost during flight training as well as in active duty. Dad along with Les Alison co-work the book “They Shall Not Grow Old”. Dad would work tirelessly at his computer in the basement of his house in Brandon. Dad continued to volunteer for the museum until his eyesight started to fail him in the recent years.

Dad was a very compassionate and empathetic person, which lead him to volunteer with the Brandon City Police and the RCMP in Victim Services. He provided comfort to many people in crisis often tending to active scenes where people were experiencing acute trauma. Eventually retiring from Victim Services but not without recognition.

Dad enjoyed gardening, flowers-especially lilies-berry picking, golf, playing cards, listening to music, Mom’s food, animals and spending time with family. He also took up bingo when he moved to Hartney and this came as a shock to all.

Dad was predeceased by his parents Mary and Harry Hayward, sister Doreen (Henry) Froese, brother Victor (Marg) Hayward, his son Robert “Bob” (Debbie) Hayward and two sons-in-laws Rick Saunders and Dave Simard.

He leaves to mourn his passing, his loving wife of 76 years Pearl, daughters Linda (Tony) Patterson, Pat Saunders, Helena (Mark) Gillis and son James Hayward. His many grandchildren Christinna (Tyler) Saunders, Murdina “Dee” (Tomas) Saunders, Len Patterson, Albert Hayward, Harry Hayward II, Penny Hayward, Kirsten (Jeremy) Gillis, Brooke (Rylan) Gillis, and Tyres Hayward as well as many great and great-great grandchildren. In his later years he was especially grateful to spend time with his great granddaughter Noah.

Dad passed away peacefully in his sleep at the Hartney Community Health Centre in the wee hours of Monday, August 3rd, 2026.

A time of visitation will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2026 at Memories Chapel – 330 18th Street North, Brandon, Manitoba at 1:00 p.m.

A graveside service will take place on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at the Brandon Cemetery Columbarium at 1:00 p.m.