Dwight Lee Hayden

away peacefully at his home surrounded by family on Saturday, August 22nd at the age of 80.

He was born June 26th, 1940 in Ottawa, Kansas to Herbert and Lucy Hayden.

He attended grade school in a one room school house in Anderson County, Kansas and

graduated from Garnett High School in Garnett, Kansas. While growing up on a country farm

taught him how to be a hard worker he always dreamed of bigger and brighter things.

Watching the planes flyover while working on the farm, he dreamt of being a pilot and seeing

the country. He attended Kansas State University where he was in the ROTC program. He

earned his Bachelors Degree in Landscape Architecture and Design as well as his Masters in

Business Administration. While attending KSU he worked at the airport and soon became a

flight instructor. He accrued flight hours by teaching his professors and others how to fly.

While at KSU he fell in love with Dixie Darlene Baker, soon to become his wife of nearly 57

years. They married on August 25th, 1963.

After college, he served in the Air Force Reserves, living in New Jersey. While in the Reserves,

he was hired by United Airlines in 1965. He was then called to active duty and stationed in

Charleston, South Carolina. It was here that their daughter, Kimberly, was born. He received

an Honorable Discharge as Captain in 1970. Dwight then returned to his position at United

Airlines in Denver, Colorado flying the DC-6, DC-7 and DC-8. He and Dixie moved to

Northglenn, Colorado, where their son, Kevin, was born. In 1972, Dwight returned to his

hometown of Garnett, Kansas to be near his extended family while commuting to Chicago to

flying for United. In addition to flying for United, he was able to utilize his Landscape

Architecture and Design degree and designed and developed a lake and surrounding

subdivision called Lakeview Estates in Garnett, KS. In 1979, Dwight transferred back to the

Denver United hub and moved his family to Loveland, CO. In addition to his career with

United, he designed and developed 2 senior retirement communities in Loveland called Sunset

Mobile Home Park, East and West. In 1982, he became a Captain for United Airlines. He

served as Captain on the DC-10 and Boeing 737, 757, 767, and retired as a United Captain on

the Boeing 747-400 after 35 years of traveling the world.

One of his proudest accomplishments was teaching his son and son-in-law to fly and watch

them advance their careers with United Airlines to the rank of Captain. He was also proud of

his daughter-in-law in becoming a flight attendant for United. Other proud moments were

cheering on his daughter in her baton twirling endeavors from national competitions, and as

the feature twirler at Colorado State University to representing the titles of Miss Fort Collins

and Miss EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In 2003, while in

Loveland he designed and built a state of the art car wash, Mountain Wave Car Wash, with his

children. After his retirement, he and Dixie continued to travel the world together. Their favorite

travel destinations included Maui, Australia, Caribbean Islands, and Europe. Together they also

loved camping with all their grandkids at Red Feather Lakes, CO and traveling to the EAA

convention every year with family and friends for a total of 40 years. Dwight was a devoted fan

of his grandkids in all of their various endeavors from baseball and softball games to

gymnastics, powerlifting, track, basketball and dance. He was so proud of all of them for

accomplishing so much in all that they do, including becoming captains of their respective

teams to collegiate athletes. He was such a great example for them in understanding if you

work hard and have a vision, you can achieve great things. His legacy lives on.

Dwight was a deacon and a life long member of the First Christian Church. He is survived by

his beautiful wife Dixie and daughter Kimberly McVay and husband Heath, grandchildren

Kailyn, Makenna, Zachary of Loveland, CO; and son Kevin Hayden and wife Amy,

grandchildren Kalani and Sierra of Montgomery, Texas. Also, younger brother Robert Hayden

of Kansas City, Kansas, Sister-in-law Norma Hayden of Cottonwood, Arizona and many nieces.

He was preceded in death by his parents Herbert & Lucy Hayden, older brother Darold, an

infant brother, and sister-in-law Marlys Hayden.

A visitation and funeral service for Dwight will be held Saturday, September 5th, 2020 at Allnutt

Funeral Home 2100 N. Lincoln Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538 beginning at 9:00am.

www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/loveland-co/dwight-hayden-9323082

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Pro Swing and Eagle’s Nest Project.

Pro Swing is a non-profit boys and girls baseball/softball organization that Kim and Heath

created which teaches kids the basics and fundamentals of playing the sport and continues to

help them reach their dreams of playing at the collegiate level.

Eagle’s Nest Project is a non-profit program where Kevin volunteers and Kalani has

participated in that allows the High School students, while in class, to learn about aviation by

building and eventually flying in a RV-12 aircraft during the school year.

To donate for either nonprofit organization please go to www.proswingpark.com. Contributions will

be split among the two nonprofit organizations.