Obituary of Ethel P. Hayden

Putnam -Ethel P. Hayden, lifelong resident of Putnam, wife, mother, nurse and caregiver, died Saturday, January 12, 2013 at Westview Health Care Center after a long illness. Born March 22, 1927, the daughter of Thaddeus Eugene and Florence Brown Pitkin, she grew up on a dairy farm and graduated from Putnam High School in 1945. In June 1946, she married Walter Burrill Hayden of Putnam. Together they enjoyed music, gardening and family during 60 years of marriage, until his death in 2006. Ethel was a dedicated wife and mother of five who worked on the family farm canning and freezing vegetables and serving as a 4-H leader in sewing and cooking. Ethel sang in both the Putnam Methodist Church choir and the Northeast Connecticut Concert Choir. After becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse in 1966 she worked at Day Kimball Hospital and later at Matulaitis Nursing Home in Putnam for many years, as well as providing care for family and others. She was the organist at St. Phillip's Episcopal Church in Putnam for almost 20 years, retiring in 2005, and served her church and community, including the Salvation Army and Munyan Cemetery, in many volunteer roles. She leaves five children: daughter Mary Hayden and partner Carla Tomaso of Pasadena, CA; son John Hayden and wife Sheila of Powhatan, VA; son Michael Hayden and wife Cathy of Los Altos, CA; daughter Laura Russo and husband Ron of Plainfield, CT; and daughter Elizabeth Hayden and husband Ken Heidel of Sturbridge, MA. She leaves two grandsons, Sean and wife Wendy, of Powhatan, VA, and Joseph and wife Sara, of Amelia Courthouse, VA; two granddaughters, Christine and Catherine of Los Altos, CA; and a great-grandson Dylan Hayden, of Saratoga Springs, UT. She was predeceased by granddaughter Jessica Elaine Duff in 2009. She is also survived by a sister, Mabel Wagner, of Lincoln, RI, and a brother, Edward Pitkin, of Mansfield, CT, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. A Memorial Service will be Saturday, January 19, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at the Living Faith United Methodist Church, 53 Grove St., Putnam, CT 06260 followed by a reception. Donations may be sent to the church in lieu of flowers. Burial at Munyan Cemetery will be private. To share a memory with her family, "Light a Candle" at www.smithandwalkerfh.com