Valerie Rose Hayward, 77, longtime resident of Killingworth, passed away peacefully Oct. 25 at home surrounded by her loving family. Beloved wife of Anthony Hayward, Valerie was of British heritage. She was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in November 1941, where her father was stationed at the end of World War II. After the war, the family moved to Kensington in London, and subsequently to Maidstone in Kent.
Valerie was a very talented artist, and considered art school, but ultimately chose to follow a calling in healthcare, and graduated from nursing school at Pembury Hospital in Kent in 1964. She met her future husband Anthony at her graduation dinner/dance. She married Anthony a year later and moved to Toronto, Canada, where Anthony worked for two years. Her daughter Amanda was born in Toronto. After returning to England, she gave birth to Jonathan and David, 11 months apart.
After Anthony retired from his job in his father’s family business, the family moved to the village of Coverack in Cornwall, where they ran a seafront guest house for four years. Valerie was a wonderful cook and hostess, and with Anthony’s help made guests so happy they often returned year after year. Valerie went back to nursing school at Treliske Hospital in Truro, Cornwall, where she graduated as a state-certified midwife. Anthony also entered the nursing program at Treliske and two years after graduation took a position in Lubbock, Texas as an RN. The family joined him two years later and Valerie worked for many years as a health unit coordinator in labor and delivery there.
Valerie and Anthony subsequently moved to New Haven, where Anthony worked at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Later they moved to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, where Valerie became a prominent member of the local British Club. After Anthony retired they moved to Killingworth to be close to their daughter Amanda. Valerie loved to cook and make flower arrangements for the Church and also sang in the church choir. She was passionate about dragonflies.
Valerie is survived by her loving husband Anthony Revall Hayward; daughter Amanda Hayward; her sons Jonathan Hayward (wife Cindy), and David Hayward; four grandchildren, Morgan and Cameron Gharibian, and Abigail and Rachael Hayward; sisters Shirley Peters, Elaine Pullan, Jocelyn Peters, and Stephanie Winter; and her brothers Malcolm Winter and Maurice Winter. Valerie was predeceased by her sister Beverly Kendall, her father Charles Winter, and her mother Rosina Winter (Richardson).
Memorial services will be held at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Madison, on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 10 a.m. Donations may be made in Valerie’s name to the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, 57 West 57th St., Ste. 904, New York, NY 10019, https://www.alzdiscovery.org/donate. Arrangements in the care of the Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church St., Guilford. To share a memory or leave condolences, visit www.guilfordfuneralhome.com.
