Ronald Cecil Hayward

Ronald Cecil Hayward, age 78, of Grand Ledge, MI passed away on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at home surrounded by his family. The son of Lucius and Mildred (Cross) Hayward, he was born on March 27, 1945 in Lansing, MI. Service to be held on Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 10:00 am at Beginning in Grace, 200 E. River St., Grand Ledge, MI. Robert Beckett officiating. Luncheon to follow. He is preceded in death by his wife, Ann Elizabeth (Taylor) Hayward; parents, Lucius and Mildred (Cross) Hayward; brothers, Gary Hayward and Gordon Hayward; and sister, Betty (Hayward) Lucas.

He is survived by his children, Debbie (Lee) Whitford, Diane Hayward, Roni-Sue Hayward, Mary (Andrew) Van Halst, and Gary Hayward; grandchildren, Ashley (Austin) Neilson, Ezra Perkins, Marissa (Nick) Wohlfert, Cecilia Van Halst, Derienne Perkins, Trevor (Katherine) Van Halst, Robert Rock, Jared Hayward and Liana Rock; great grandson, Nathaniel Neilson; brothers, M.E. “Gene” (Alice) Hayward and Lucius (Karen) Hayward; sister, Joanne (Gary) Ford; and many nieces and nephews.

Our Dad was a man with a sense of obligation that created a world of difference. In a world of crowded streets, he had an unspeakable desire of spending his time with the universe God created. He had a relentless knowledge of how to make things grow, and with this knowledge he tracked out his true original course, his longing to inquire the mystery of his heart, as he was witness to the rise and fall of the things he planted in the ground. He had a sense of the greatness of God, he recognized it and consciously accepted it, it was his rock, and it gave his life meaning, through the joys and sorrows of his daily existence, he had many significant moments such as gazing at a tree he had planted, here he had to have felt the grandeur of God, watching how tall a tree could grow and the unfolding of the leaves, it was a signal to our dad that God is not just in heaven but with us, sustaining us and caring for us. He responded to this love, as he was an obedient servant and praised God with the things he grew through Jesus Christ he was redeemed. Ron retired from General Motors. His first experience in which would soon become his career in the automotive industry was at Goodyear and then Oldsmobile in Lansing as a cutter grinder, where he sharpened the cutting edges of tools.

“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new

strength, they will mount up with wings like

eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will

walk and not become weary.”

Isaiah 40:31

Ron attended Pennway Church of God and the Mt. Hope United Methodist Church and enjoyed singing in the church choir, as music mellowed his soul and was his testimony in receiving the gospel. Ron volunteered at Hospice House of Mid-Michigan and the Red Cross. Ron enjoyed singing, planting things, baking and cooking. He was most interested in trees, he especially loved any discussions about them. Amongst the crowded streets, Ron stayed on a path, the path that headed in the direction of his one true self, the path that led him to his Lord and Savior.