Richard Burton Hayward

Lt. Colonel Richard Burton Hayward passed away on July 27, 2018 from natural causes. He was born on October 27, 1923 in Mount Clemens, Michigan to Harold and Loucille Hayward. In 1943, he convinced his mother to let him join the military and had a long and active military career as an Infantryman and a Chaplain before retiring in 1973 as a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force and an Air Force Chaplain. He served in active duty in World War II, specifically in the South Pacific theater.

Richard met Betty Joe Cooley after World War II during Bible class on Sunday nights, where, after going to church services, they would visit other young people’s homes. Among the over 100 young people in attendance, Richard and Betty Joe found each other. She told Richard that she was never going to marry and Richard said that was fine. Of course, they were married in 1950.

Richard put himself through college and seminary school in San Francisco and was ordained by the Presbyterian Church in 1953. His first overseas assignment was to an isolated radar station in Germany, where he worked hard to start a bowling league and raise the morale of the troops, winning the praise of the base commander.

In 1956 he founded the American Protestant Church of The Hague in the Netherlands, which in 2006 was designated as a National Treasure by the Dutch government. Next, he was stationed in New Mexico, where his daughter Denise Ann was born, and he started taping radio broadcasts to raise troop morale and spread his personal thoughts and values. He was stationed in Okinawa, Japan; Mount Clemens, Michigan; and Northern Thailand before his last assignment in Coronado, California in 1970.

After retiring from active duty in 1973, Chaplain Hayward was the Public Relations Director for all of the YMCAs in San Diego County and pastored at several churches. He was an especially long-time pastor at the Linda Vista Presbyterian Church, where he had a strong hand in reviving the church and later wrote about that experience and others in a book titled God and Public Relations: Methods Make Church Renewal, Growth, and Outreach Happen.

Before and after retiring as a pastor, Richard and Betty Joe took at least 50 cruises together; traveling throughout Europe, Asia, and the western United States, visiting at least 38 different countries. They fulfilled their commitment to each other to see the world and connect to people all over God's Kingdom. Pastor Hayward has made many of his sermons available online at www.sermonsonaudio.com. He frequently said, “Never underestimate the power of God.” Richard would be most honored if people continue to listen to his sermons and be lifted up by the word of God.

Richard Hayward was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Betty Joe Cooley Hayward and leaves behind his daughter, Denise, two grandchildren Janice (Ryan) Marquardt and David (Kerianne) Gustafson, and three great-grandchildren Hazel, Zane, and Henry.

A visitation will be held on Monday, August 27 from 11am until 12pm. at Merkley-Mitchell Mortuary, 3655 Fifth Avenue, San Diego. A committal service with full military honors will be held from 1:30 pm until 2pm at Fort Rosecrans, 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive, San Diego.