Violetta Tironi Hayden, MD

Violetta Tironi Hayden, M.D., 91, passed away October 20, 2022, at her home in Louisville, KY. She was a retired pediatrician who had practiced medicine for many years in Barbourville, KY, where she raised a large family, was active in her community, and made the world’s best pasta.

During a trip through Europe, a group of elderly Italian women nicknamed her “Mamma America,” a name she laughed at but one that spoke volumes about her life story.

She was born on September 16, 1931, in Milan, Italy, the only child of a police investigator, Gino Sergio Tironi, and a bank officer, Giuseppina Balsamo Tironi. Violetta excelled in both school and sports, and though she was quiet she made lifelong friends. Her childhood was interrupted by World War II, as she spent long nights waiting in dimly lit bomb shelters during Allied air raids. After the war, she finished high school, attended medical school at the University of Milan, and in 1957 sailed to the United States to begin a pediatrics residency in Chicago at Columbia Hospital and later at Cook County Hospital. At the latter, she met Raymond Estil Hayden, of Owensboro, KY, whom she married in 1960. They lived at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota for two years, before moving to Barbourville, in 1963, their home for the next 45 years. They had ten children.

In addition to practicing medicine and serving on the Knox County Board of Health, Violetta liked to play tennis and, occasionally, volleyball and basketball. She was an active bridge player whose monthly card games brought out her competitiveness. Few people could beat her in Scrabble, and she enjoyed doing crossword puzzles. Through the decades, she was a loyal Cincinnati Reds fan, organizing trips to see them play at Riverfront Stadium, watching televised games faithfully, even watching broadcasts of the Atlanta Braves regularly just to root against them.

She loved a good bargain and any chance to negotiate. She was still clipping coupons in her late 80s.

Her friends called her “Vi,” which she didn’t like because it sounded like the Italian command for “go” (vai), but she accepted the nickname nonetheless. A music aficionada, she enjoyed listening to classical music and opera, especially Puccini. She was tough, exacting, and fiercely intelligent. When she couldn’t find anyone in town to repair a broken wrist watch, she took it apart in the kitchen and fixed it herself. Multilingual from a young age, she studied German and English, could read Latin and Greek with ease, and maintained a lifelong fascination with etymology. Numquam obliviscenda—she’ll never be forgotten.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Raymond E. Hayden, M.D. (1931-2016), and is survived by their ten children and ten grandchildren: Susie Hayden of Louisville, KY; Julie Hayden, M.D., of Louisville, KY; Joe Hayden (wife Gloria) of Memphis, TN.; Anna Zimmermann (husband Alan) of Indianapolis, IN.; Robert Hayden (wife Mickey; children Megan and Lucas) of Cordova, TN.; Marina Hayden of Rehoboth Beach, DE; Patrick Hayden, M.D. (wife Anna; children Natalie and Lila) of Louisville, KY; John Hayden (wife Elizabeth) of Louisville, KY; Lisa Fielding (husband Scott; children Rachel, Allison, Kate, Lily) of Nashville, TN.; and Erika Hayden Clark, M.D. (husband Ed; children Sam and Sarah) of Lexington, KY.

The funeral Mass will be at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, at St. Bernadette Catholic Church, 6500 St. Bernadette Ave, Prospect, KY 40059, and a reception at noon at the Ivy Crest Clubhouse (4411 Ivy Crest Way, Louisville, KY 40241). In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Sisters of Divine Providence (2000 St. Anne Drive, Melbourne, KY 41059).

The family wishes to thank caregivers Heather Heath and Chantel McAtee, whose dedication, compassion, and humor added so much to Violetta’s life. The family is also grateful for the care provided by Hosparus of Louisville.