Vernon Charles Hayden, 90, of Dunkirk passed away August 24, 2023 at home. He was born October 9, 1932, to Richard and Margaret (Cartwright) Hayden. Vernon joined the United States Air Force on September 26, 1951 and was honorably discharged on September 25, 1955 after serving in the Korean War. He was stationed in Colorado, Korea, Guam, and Spokane, Washington during his time in the Air Force and was awarded several medals including the Air Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross. Vernon married Phyllis Jean Lilly on September 20, 1957 and they lived in Oxon Hill until moving to Dunkirk in 1974. He worked for C & P Telephone Company, which later became AT&T, for many years, retiring as a supervisor in 1988. Vernon loved traveling with his family. He visited all 50 states and drove to all of them except Alaska and Hawaii with Phyllis. He enjoyed fishing, camping, woodworking, and remodeling, watching Orioles baseball, printing pictures of his great-grandchildren and spending time with this family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Vernon was preceded in death by his wife Phyllis Jean Hayden, brother Russell Hayden, and sister Margaret Gilkerson. He is survived by his son Dennis Hayden of Dunkirk, daughter Cindy Hardesty and her husband Maurice of Owings, grandchildren Tabitha Hindman and her husband Sam, Timothy Thurman, Joshua Dellinger, and Beau and David Hardesty, and great-grandchildren Mason and Olivia Hindman and Freya Whitlock-Thurman.