Margaret Helene Hayward

Margaret “Helene” (Campbell) Hayward, 94, of Canyon, passed into the arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Sunday, November 16, 2025. Private interment will be in Elkhart Cemetery in Elkhart, Kansas. The family will receive friends from 3:00 to 6:00 P.M. on Saturday, November 22, 2025 at Brooks Chapel in Canyon. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 P.M. on Sunday, November 23, 2025 at Westcliff Bible Church in Amarillo. 

Helene was born on June 5, 1931 in Oskaloosa, Kansas to Roscoe Conklin Campbell, son of Cordelia “Cora” (Heckman) Campbell and Archibald Campbell, and Clara Gladys (Henderson) Campbell, daughter of Laura Geneva (Whaley) Henderson and Calvin Orr Henderson. She graduated as Salutatorian of Meriden High School in Meriden, KS in 1949 and attended Kansas State University for two years along with her sister, Laurel. While at Kansas State, she met Jack Winston Hayward and they were married on August 10, 1951 at Grand Lake, Colorado. Jack was the son of George Louis Hayward and Grace Inez (Cox) Hayward. Helene then received her Education Degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL and taught 1st grade at 54th Avenue Elementary School and at Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg, FL. She continued her education at Oklahoma Panhandle State University and when she and Jack returned to Elkhart, KS in 1977, she served as Vice President of First State Bank of Elkhart until 1998 when Jack retired and they moved to Canyon, Texas. Here, Jack received his Master’s in Counseling and Helene received her Master of Arts in 2002 and Master of Fine Arts in 2008 from West Texas A&M University. Because of their love for WTAMU, they donated the Hayward Spirit Tower on the university campus in 2008.

Helene had many talents. She played the saxophone, piano, and organ. She was an accomplished artist and loved to paint with oil, watercolor, and pastels. She had an extensive portfolio of many beautiful paintings, and she loved to paint pictures for her children and grandchildren and friends. She and Jack shared an interest in flying, and Helene earned her Private Pilot’s License in 1965 in a Cessna 150. They also loved to travel, both internationally (five continents), and extensively in the United States. She most often had one or two cats that she loved dearly.

Helene grew up in the Methodist Church, accepting Jesus Christ as her personal Savior shortly after getting married. She and Jack were always active in church wherever they lived, most recently attending First Baptist Church in Canyon, TX until Jack’s death, July 1, 2023. After moving to the Craig Senior Living Center in Amarillo, Texas, she then attended Westcliff Bible Church in Amarillo with her son, Stephen Hayward and his family. After moving to The Craig, Helene was able to make many friends, including special friends, Arlene, Ellen, and Shari. She enjoyed playing cards, crafts, eating in the dining room, and learning to knit. She very much appreciated all the staff at The Craig.

Helene is preceded in death by her husband of almost 72 years, Jack Winston Hayward, her parents, Roscoe and Gladys Campbell, and four siblings, Virginia Faye (Campbell) Ludy and husband, John Ludy, Roland Henderson Campbell and wife, Dorothy Campbell, Cordelia Clair (Campbell) McClure and husband, David McClure, and brothers-in-law, John White and Everett Browning.

Survivors include her three children, Kenneth and Sandra Hayward of Lynden, WA and their children, Heidi and Justin Berkey, Heather Hayward, and Helyce and John Struiksma, Roxane and Tom Thweatt of Lynden, WA and their children, Nicholas Thweatt and Jacqueline Thweatt, formerly Sheng Chen Fang of Desheng, Guangxi Zhong Province, China, and Stephen and Martha (Barkman) Hayward of Amarillo, TX and their daughter, Mary Grace Yanzhen Hayward, formerly Yuan YanZhen of Nanning, Guangxi Zhong Province, China; two siblings, Shirley and husband, John Bowser, and Laurel Browning; and sister-in-law, Jan Campbell, 2nd wife of Roland Campbell.

The family requests that charitable donations be made to the WTAMU College of Business, WT Box 60766, Canyon, TX 79016 (please note College of Business in the memo), or to Westcliff Bible Church, 5300 W. Amarillo Blvd., Amarillo, Texas 79106.