Thomas Hayden

Thomas Edward Hayden III, 90, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, in Flower Mound, Texas.

Tom was born to his parents, Virginia “Virgie” Dyer Hayden and Thomas Edward Hayden, Jr. (former mayor of Abilene), in Abilene, Texas on February 8, 1932.

He attended high school in Abilene and graduated in 1950. His father passed when Tom was a senior in high school which resulted in him joining the Texas National Guard (Reserve Guard) to aid in his attending college. He attended the University of Texas where he received his B.S. in Physics in 1954. While there he also met his wife, Mary, and they got married on December 23, 1956, in Beaumont, Texas.

After marrying, Tom received his Ph.D. in Mathematics in 1961, then He and his wife moved to Lexington, KY in 1961 where Tom was offered a teaching job at the University of Kentucky. In 1967, Tom and Mary welcomed their son, Tommy Hayden.

Tom and Mary remained in Lexington for over 30 years and never thought of relocating until their grandsons came. They got an apartment in Double Oak, Texas in 2004 and began making the transition between Texas and Kentucky for three years. In 2007, Tom retired from the University of Kentucky and he and Mary permanently settled back in their home state of Texas to be near their son and his family. They enjoyed every minute of the time spent with their grandsons.

Tom was very involved in Christian mission work. He was part of the Bill Glass Prison Ministry. He also, went to China, Turkey, and several countries in Africa to spread the gospel. Through the years he spent much time at the Hayden Family Ranch in Moran, Texas. The ranch has been in the Hayden family since the 1880’s. He loved the ranch so much that Mary referred to it as “his mistress”. The only things he loved more than the ranch was Math and Jesus.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Hayden; his son, Thomas Edward Hayden III and his wife Karen; grandchildren, Daniel Hayden, Nate Hayden, and Mark Hayden; niece, Missy Ogden Hoyt and her husband Chase.

Tom is preceded in death by his parents; brother, Edward D. Hayden; brother-in-law Henry O. Ogden, Jr., and sister-in-law Bonnie E. Ogden.

A private interment was held at Elmwood Memorial Park in Abilene, Texas.