Jennifer Clare Hayden 1931 – 2021 BRUNSWICK – Jennifer Clare Hayden, 89, died peacefully Saturday, August 14, 2021 surrounded by family and friends. Jennifer was born Sept. 22, 1931 in London, England the daughter of Lt. Col. Gordon Calthrop Thorne and Pamela Grant Thorne. Her father’s military service took the family to Sri Lanka and India. Following his death in the early stages of WWII, Jennifer, with her mother and brother came to the United States where they lived with her grandmother in Philadelphia. The family eventually settled in Morristown, N.J. Jennifer attended high school in Arizona and New Hampshire, going on to earn a degree from Wheelock College in Boston and a master’s degree from Radcliffe/Harvard University which is where she met her husband, Malcolm Scollay Hayden. The couple married on Sept. 14, 1957. From Cambridge, they moved to Columbus, Ohio where they raised their three children, Sarah, Chris, and Elizabeth, and made many lifelong friends. They moved to Maine in 1986. Jennifer worked as a social work administrator for several non-profits including the Urban League, the United Way, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. She continued her non-profit work in Maine working for the Area Agency on Aging, Tedford Housing, and as a corporator and board member of Sweetser. She was a member of St. Paul’s Church in Brunswick and was involved in numerous community organizations, many relating to civil rights/social justice. Jennifer had a thirst for learning and doing. She was an avid reader, belonging to two book groups, and a gardening enthusiast. Jennifer’s greatest loves were her family, her friends, and Seavey Island, in Maine’s Muscongus Bay, which she and Malcolm purchased in 1972. Jennifer found great joy in sharing this special place with others. Her decision to purchase Seavey has led to four generations of family fun and her welcoming hundreds of visitors over the years who hold Seavey close to their hearts. She was predeceased by her husband, Malcolm (2007); a daughter, Sarah Hayden Dorsey (2010); and a brother, Frederick Thorne (2016). She is survived by a son, Christopher Scollay Hayden of Portsmouth, N.H., a daughter, Elizabeth Hayden Keene and husband Peter of Springfield, N.H.; a stepbrother, David Galbraith Colwell of California, a stepsister Ann Catherine Menninger of Franconia, N.H.; four grandchildren, Emmaline Keene of Pisgah, N.C., Hayden Keene of Springfield, N.H., Ian Dorsey and wife Kelly of Brunswick, Hannah Harrington and husband Dale of Brunswick; two great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Jennifer made it her life’s work to advocate for underserved populations. Her legacy of service, generosity, and compassion lives on in those she served as well as all who knew her. A celebration of her life will be held at The Brunswick Hotel, 4 Noble St., Brunswick on Saturday, Sept. 18 from 3 to 6 p.m. Memories and condolences can be shared at http://www.brackettfh.com . Memorial contributions can be made to Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program 12 Tenney Way Brunswick, ME 04011
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