James B. Hayden

James B. Hayden Orleans – James B. Hayden, 92, of Orleans, formerly of Athol, died Saturday, March 24, 2012 at his home.       He was born in Athol, January 15, 1920, the son of James B. and Mary (Manning) Hayden.  Jim grew up in Athol, graduating from Athol High School and moved to Orleans in 1981, following his retirement.       He served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, serving on the Coast Guard cutter the Ingham, one of a few ships in the navy that earned the Presidential Unit Citation, twice.       He was a devout Catholic and was member of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Orleans attending church on a regular basis.  Jim was a very generous man and gave to many charities over the years.        Jim was a master electrician and worked at the former Union Twist Drill for many years as a foreman, retiring in 1981.  He was a member of the Orleans and Athol Gun clubs and an avid duck hunter.  He loved to read, and he loved nature especially bird watching in his back yard, feeding the chipmunks, and talking to and feeding the crows.  He was a regular at the local Hearth and Kettle for lunch and sometimes dinner, as he never mastered cooking skills.   He also enjoyed the company at the restaurant and especially the wait staff.         Jim and his family and their friends spent many years vacationing and camping on Cape Cod.  It was here that Janice and Jim decided they would retire to Cape Cod and they build their “little home”.   Jim had the opportunity to go into assisted living, but his love of his home and the memories were what he loved most in life and it kept him there.  He was a very independent person by nature and enjoyed his freedom.      Jim was beloved by his family, neighbors, friends, and anyone who knew him.  He whistled happily, always had a story to tell, loved the art of discussion, had a  joke to tell, was full of wit and charm, all with a twinkle in his eyes.   He was a wonderful neighbor and the Hayden home was always a happy gathering place for food and many friends and family.      He leaves a daughter-in-law, Nancy Nickless Hayden of Guilford, CT and Cousins Coleen Hayden of Erving and Mary Wheeler of Athol.   He was predeceased by his wife of 54 years, Dorothy (Brook) Hayden in 2003 and his son James B. Hayden in 2011.      A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, March 31, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady Immaculate Church, 192 School Street, Athol, MA.  A burial with military honors will follow at Gethsemane Cemetery and in lieu of flowers the family suggests donations in Jim’s name be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.   Higgins-O’Connor Funeral Home, 146 Main Street, Athol is directing arrangements.  For further information or to share a memory with the family go to:  www.higginsoconnorfuneralhome.com. $(document).ready(function(){ });