It is with much sadness that we heard of the death of John Hayden on October 1st. John had for the past 4 years resided at Apple Tree Court at Burnt Oak since it was discovered that he was suffering from vascular dementia. However, this did not prevent him from attending many of the Society's meetings, as his good friends Elizabeth Shaw and her husband brought him regularly to meetings which he seemed to enjoy. For upwards of 30 years, John was a demonstrator at the Observatory and he continued in this role even when his symptoms began to make themselves felt. His last attendance was during the Observatory working party in the Summer of 2005 but he returned for a visit in May 2009 at which time he was presented with a certificate for long service to the Observatory. John was unmarried and had no close relatives but he had a huge support group of friends who visited him regularly, took him on holiday and to performances of Operas which he loved. We join them in the sadness of his parting. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. John's funeral will take place at St. Alphage Church, Montrose Avenue, Burnt Oak on Wednesday October 17th at 10:00 am.
Doug Daniels marking John's long service as a demonstrator at the observatory
John at the Observatory