James Rife Hayden was born March 1, 1916, in Monessen, Penn., to Dory and Gertrude (Rife) Hayden, the second of four children. The young family moved from Pennsylvania to Long Beach, Calif., in 1918, when James was two years old, so that his father could work for the U.S. government in the Naval Shipyard during WWI. By the time they got to Long Beach, the war had ended, but the move had been made and the family stayed in California. James attended Long Beach schools, graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1934. During these younger years James was active in Boy Scouts and attained the honor of Eagle Scout.

He attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and, after graduation in 1937, returned home, where he learned public accounting from his father.

James continued his life-long passion of reaching men for Christ and building in their lives to the honor of God by his involvement with young people. Having met a man by the name of Dawson Trotman, he was influential with Mr. Trotman in the formation of The Navigators (an International Christian organization working with servicemen, nationals, and university and college students on campuses around the world, now headquartered in Colorado Springs, Co., but begun in Southern California).

James met Victoria (Tordie) McIntosh through their mutual involvement in the lives of young people and their passion for a life with God at its center. They became engaged in 1939 and married Sept. 22, 1940. Their love for each other and their service to others through their faith in God remained a constant throughout their 68 years of marriage. Agreement brings unity and their marriage was a wonderful example to all who knew them.

Soon after their marriage, they moved to San Diego to begin an assignment with the Navigators which included having a place where servicemen could come to read, partake in recreation, etc. There was a baseball field across the street. Dec. 7, 1941 while Tordie was listening to the radio, an announcement came over the radio to tell all servicemen to report back to their ships, that Pearl Harbor had been attacked by Japan. Silently they stopped their game and left.

This is where their first son, Fred, was born in 1941. In 1943 their daughter, Linda was also born in San Diego where they had moved again to have a home for service men. There were rooms downstairs where they could stay in a real home, enjoy civilian food and have a place to sleep. This was known as a Navigator Home. James (who would now be known as Jim) served God and his country through this ministry by being used of God to spiritually prepare our servicemen facing the horrors of combat during the crucial years of WWII, as well as faithfully writing to many servicemen throughout the war.

Later a move was made to south Pasadena, where the Navigators were headquartered, and the second daughter, Ruth, was born, and then a fourth child, John, and a fifth, Paul, were born. For a short time, Jim worked at a private school, Culter Academy, where he coached football and other sports. He also taught Bible and had a good time teaching while girls knitted socks for him, if they were caught knitting in class.

Jim and Tordie moved to Garden Grove, Calif., in 1952 where he supported his family by doing anything he could while taking a correspondence course in accounting. The ensuing years were full of accounting jobs and clients, the activities of five growing children, leading a Boy Scout troop, and always teaching — whether in a Sunday School or in a home setting.

When Jim reached that golden age of 65 he and Tordie retired and moved to Oak Harbor, where they joined the Family Bible Church. All his years of study didn’t go to waste even in retirement as he continued to teach Bible classes at the church, in various home groups, and one-on-one. A teacher is always a teacher. It’s not so much a choice as a calling. He was also an elder at this church.

Jim Hayden was a wonderfully unique man. His family would love to see you smile as they told you about the fascinating idiosyncrasies of their husband/father/grandfather/ great- grandfather. His life was lived in order. He marched to his own drum. He recorded where he ate and with whom within his diary. He knew how many times he went out a month and who invited whom. He knew when he bought a pair of shoes, what he paid for them, when he got them half-soled, when they went from dress shoe to casual to work in the yard! He numbered everything, whether it be shirts, T-shirts, jigsaw puzzles or records (what kids would now call CD’s). He didn’t ask anyone else to live as he lived, but he quietly kept his own life in order.

He was so quiet that you were tempted to assume he was totally serious at all times, but his quick wit kept you on your toes. He surprised you with “zingers” and puns, even while at Careage.

Our dear Jim Hayden is survived by the love of his life, Tordie, who will be 90 years old in May; their five children, Fred (Fran) of Coupeville, Linda Crites (Dave) of Moreno Valley, Calif., Ruth Hancock (Ron) of Oak Harbor, John (Nancy) of San Diego, Paul (Terri), of Jackson Hole, Wyo.; 15 grandchildren; 14 great- grandchildren’ and his brother Bob Hayden of San Clemente, Calif. They have love, admiration, appreciation and thankfulness for the blessing Jim Hayden has been to each of them, and, with smiles and tears, gave him into God’s presence in Heaven early Monday morning, March 23, 2009. Memorial service was held at the Family Bible Church March 28.

“He walked with God and now his God walks with him.”