Ruth Anne Hayward, 92

Ruth Anne Hayward, a longtime resident of Acton, renaissance woman, and beloved matriarchal cousin of her family, died peacefully on September 20, 2026, in Wrentham. She is survived by first cousins Shonah (Joseph) Hayden and James (Elaine) Jardine, their children and grandchildren, as well as additional cousins and friends in the United States and abroad. She is predeceased by her parents Irving Hayward and Marion (Jardine) Hayward and her brother Robert Hayward.

Ruth was born on April 23, 1934, in Burlington, Vermont, near Fort Ethan Allen, where her father, an Army captain, was stationed. Throughout her childhood she lived with her family on Army bases in Alaska, Massachusetts, New York, Utah, and Vermont. They settled in Acton in 1950, where her mother became a librarian at the Acton Free Public Library. The mother-daughter pair were lifelong voracious readers. Ruth graduated from Acton High School in 1952 and then attended Colby Junior College in New Hampshire, where she served as editor of the student newspaper during her senior year.

Ruth began her professional career as a medical records specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and later transitioned to Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge. She was elected president of the Massachusetts Medical Records Association and served as an independent consultant for numerous health agencies.

After earning a master of public health degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1972, she accepted a position with the World Health Organization and served on long-term international assignments in Nassau, Bahamas; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and Beirut, Lebanon. After her tenure with the World Health Organization, she returned to Acton, where she became a top executive assistant at MITRE Corporation in Bedford. She retired from the company in 2001 and later moved to Acton Park Senior Living.

Ruth was a proud citizen and dedicated voter who was passionate about democracy. She was also a dedicated supporter of the arts, having served as treasurer of the MIT Chorale Society for a decade. She sang with the choir at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus in Cambridge and on several European tours. In her later years, she was also a proud audience member at the musical performances of her younger cousins.

Ruth’s wit and sophisticated prose are fondly remembered by family and friends with whom she maintained regular correspondence. She wrote poems for holiday gatherings and compiled a Christmas songbook that cousins still use to sing and play carols each year. She hosted family campouts at a cabin in the White Mountains and drove smart, sporty cars, including an early-model Volkswagen Beetle. She loved her feline companions, notably Nessie, Jake, Tina, and Lexi.

Ruth was known as a Cousin with a capital C to her younger generations of cousins. Cousin Ruth took each of them on memorable day trips to historical and cultural sites and created photo albums of their special days. She will always be remembered by her famous sign-off from her letters: Family Love, Cousin R.

Family and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life in Ruth’s honor at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, October 17, at the Acton Funeral Home at 74 Belknap Street. Burial in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery was private.

Gifts in her name may be made to Acton Free Public Library, 129 Main Street, Acton, MA 01742, concordlibrary.org.

Arrangements are under the care of Acton Funeral Home, A Life Celebration Home, concordfuneral.com.