We are sad to announce the passing of Valarie Hayden, on 15 February 2025, at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel. Val was the beloved wife of John Hayden (who died in January 2021), the precious mother of Susan, Philip and Michael, and devoted grandmother and great grandmother to seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. She was a woman of great kindness and friendship, blessed with enormous energy and strength of character. As a working mother, Val's career spanned nursing at the Whittington Hospital in Highgate, missionary work in north Africa, and teaching. She taught at Churchfields Infants' School, in South Woodford, from 1978-2000, including as head of the nursery, and, after retirement, at St Luke's Primary School, in Canning Town, as a reading support teacher, from 2000-2015, until she was 80 years of age! Val was a faithful Christian and a long standing member of Grove Hill Evangelical Church, serving as a Sunday School teacher, as well as in youth clubs, toddler groups, and language classes. Her life touched many, both young and old, and she will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
Details of the funeral services for Valarie are below. The committal service is by invitation only for family and friends, and we respectfully ask that you notify W. English & Sons on wenglish.southwoodford@dignityfunerals.co.uk if you wish to attend the thanskgiving service, so we can let the family know. Gifts in place of flowers can be made to the following charities that were dear to Valerie and represent her interests: CICRA (a charity supporting children suffering from Crohn's, colitis and related diseases) at www.cicra.org/support-us; the Christian Education Project at www.christianeducationproject.org.uk/support-us; and the Bible Society at www.biblesociety.org.uk.