In Memoriam: Charles B. Hayward (1931-2023)

We were saddened to learn about the passing on July 23, 2023, of Charles “Chuck” Hayward, a longtime and dear friend of the Springfield Museums.  Artist, lecturer, and travel leader, Chuck’s varied career included teaching art in the Springfield Public Schools, Bay Path University, and here at the Museums; working as a professional artist; and guiding domestic and international travel excursions with his wife, the late Irene Webler Hayward.

A gifted lecturer, Chuck shared his love of art and culture through innumerable presentations for our Museums à la Carte programs, Museum School classes, docent trainings, and weekend lectures. While leading trips to varied locations around the world, Chuck provided engaging and insightful talks in transit as well as in museums and outside cultural monuments and historic sites. Working together with his soulmate Irene, he helped to create a vibrant culture of life-long learning at the Springfield Museums.

Of the many places they traveled, Egypt was among Chuck and Irene’s favorite destinations. With their great love of Egyptian culture, they were drawn, quite naturally, to the only Egyptian object in the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum — the outer coffin of Egyptian mummy Padihershef. They uncovered information that led them to make the remarkable discovery that the mummy of Padihershef and his inner coffin were owned by Massachusetts General Hospital, where Irene had studied to become a nurse. This revelation led to the development of the exhibition, Padihershef: The Egyptian Mummy, which was the Museum’s first blockbuster in 1984. The exhibition was reprised as Ancient Egypt in 2003, again drawing record crowds to the Springfield Museums.

Chuck loved to tell the story of how as a boy after choir practice at Christ Church Cathedral, he would climb over the railing to visit the Museum of Fine Arts. From that early age, he found great inspiration in the Museum’s galleries, and it was his deepest wish to share that irrepressible joy with others throughout his life. He did just that and with immeasurable impact. Chuck Hayward was the Museums’ most passionate advocate and ambassador. He will be missed.

We are honored to be hosting a celebration of Chuck’s remarkable life at the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts on Sunday, October 22, 2023, at 3pm. If you would like to join us, call 413-314-6549 or email development@springfieldmuseums.org by October 16, 2023.

   Kay Simpson is the President & CEO of the Springfield Museums