Gerard M. "Jeff" Hayden, Sr.

Gerard M. “Jeff” Hayden Sr, of Needham, formerly of Newton and Scituate,  passed away peacefully on August 10, 2023. He had just recently celebrated his 90th birthday. 

Jeff was raised in the Boston area and graduated from Boston College in 1955 and received his MBA from BC in1962. He served in the US Navy on the USS Forrestal, the Navy’s first supercarrier. Following his time in the Navy, Jeff was a sales rep for IBM and DEC before starting his own business, Hayden Associates, an executive recruiting company in the computer industry. Jeff loved skiing, the ocean, and was an avid golfer and longtime member of Woodland Golf Club in Auburndale and a former member of Hatherly Country Club in Scituate.

Most of all, he deeply loved his family. Jeff was the beloved husband of Patricia (Sweeney) Hayden for 44 years and proud, loving father of Gerard M. Jr. (Marti), Cynthia Kempner (James), Gregg Hayden (Dana), Beverly Canavan (David) and Ashley Fletcher (Timothy). He is also survived by his 13 grandchildren, Emily Hayden, Sarah Davos (Stephen), Christopher  Kempner (Kelly), Meggie MacLean (Ian), Nina Kempner, Jack, Charlie, and Griffin Hayden, Drew and Jenna Canavan, and Coco, Hayden, and Gray Fletcher, 7 great-grandchildren, his sister Bernice Rudis and was the brother of the late William Hayden and Donna Hayden.

Services will be private. Please consider honoring Jeff’s love for all children by giving to The Every Child Fund at Boston Children's Hospital in his memory. Contributions can be made at bostonchildrens.org/giveinmemory.

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