Obituary of Kenneth William Haydock

Father Kenneth W. “Ken” Haydock died on March 20, 2024, at his home in Greenhaven Senior Care in Edmonds. Father Ken was born in Seattle, Washington, on July 18, 1946, to Frank Haydock and Margaret McClenehan Haydock. He was the fourth of five children. He grew up on Capitol Hill in Seattle where his father owned a café. Across the street from his childhood home was St. Joseph Parish, where he worshiped with his family, attended grade school, and came to love the Sisters of the Holy Names. Under their care, seeds for a priestly vocation were planted in him, and he entered the Oregon Province of Jesuits for a brief time after graduating from Seattle Prep. Later, he received his BA from Seattle University. He went to seminary at and obtained a master’s degree from Catholic University of America. He was a schoolteacher and librarian for many years at Seattle Prep and Kennedy Catholic high schools and was an example of someone whose vocation to priesthood ultimately came from serving as a lay minister in the church first. 

Father Ken was ordained on December 6, 1980, at Sacred Heart Parish in Bellevue by Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen. His first assignment was as an associate pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Bellevue in 1980. He went on to be an associate pastor for St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Everett before taking his first assignment as pastor in 1985 at St. Joseph Parish in Vancouver. This was a challenging assignment as plans to build a new church had been thwarted before his arrival. His hard work ethic and creativity paid off in short order. Father Ken got to work right away getting out and conducting “neighborhood meetings.” By the fall of that first year, he had won over parishioners and put together a new parish building plan.

During Father Ken’s time at St. Joseph, the parish grew to the second largest parish in the archdiocese. The celebration of the Mass was very important to Father Ken, and he worked diligently to build a music and choral program that eventually became “Bravo Vancouver Chorale,” resulting in several CDs produced and the chorale making performance tours in Europe. In his time at St. Joseph, he initiated a ministry to seniors called the “Golden Fellowship,” bringing the seniors of the parish together for prayer and companionship. Honoring the sacrament of matrimony, he started the annual “Celebrate Marriage Mass” and dinner specifically honoring those celebrating milestone anniversaries each year.

After two terms in Vancouver, Father Ken was appointed pastor of Holy Rosary Parish in Edmonds in 1996, an appointment he would enjoy for 20 years. It was during these years that Holy Rosary would become one of the largest and most vibrant parishes and parish schools in the archdiocese. Under his leadership, a new parish hall was built.

Father Ken was a priest who had a big heart and a deep compassion for the sick, the homebound, the poor and the dying. He would carry around a small spiral flip notebook in his breast pocket to write down people’s prayer intentions or their names so that he could include them in his daily prayers. He was always “on call” and would drop whatever he was doing day or night to go to someone’s bedside when they were dying. It was no surprise then that Archbishop Brunett appointed him Vicar for Charities, chairman of the Board of Directors of Catholic Community Services and Archdiocesan Housing Authority.

Father Ken was a collector of books and fine art. He often said he was “a man of few tastes – only the best.” In 2014, he donated his 10,000-volume philosophy and theology library to Saint John Paul II Seminary in Washington D.C.

In 36 years of assigned priestly ministry, Father Ken only had five parish assignments. It was a testament to his loyalty and dedication to the People of God whom he served. He seemed to truly love everything about diocesan priestly ministry: teaching, preaching, pastoral care of those who were poor and vulnerable, and serving on governing committees, projects, and consultative bodies. He could be comfortable in a classroom of 1st graders and yet thrived in shepherding a couple through an annulment process. He seemed to see the Lord Jesus in every person he encountered and would do everything to ensure they were given compassionate care. 

Father Ken’s last pastoral assignment was at St. Bridget in Seattle before his health necessitated taking senior priest status in 2018. He spent his last few years in care facilities, where he found being the recipient of care challenging. Yet, he made many new friends in these settings, with his charm and intelligence which could not be inhibited by physical limitations. Special thanks to the care teams at Ida Culver, Fairwinds – Brighton Court, Greenhaven, and Beth Eagen and Associates for their loving care and dedication to Father Ken’s needs in these last years of his life. Fathe Ken’s life was marked by St. Joseph, growing up in St. Joseph Parish in Seattle, building the “new” church at St. Joseph Parish in Vancouver, and spending part of his last full day on earth, March 19^th – the Feast of St. Joseph – with brother priests at the spring luncheon for senior priests in Edmonds. Let us pray through the intercession of St. Joseph for the repose of this wonderful priest for God and man for others.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let Your perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and all the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace.

He is predeceased by his parents, Margaret and Frank Haydock, and brothers Daniel Toner and David Toner. Survived by sisters Roberta Brown and Sister Linda Haydock, SNJM, nieces, nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Catholic Community Services of Western Washington or the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, PO Box 398 Marylhurst, OR. 97036. Condolences can be sent to:

Linda Haydock, SNJM
Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary
708 N. 128th St.
Seattle, WA 98133

Vigil:

• Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at 7pm
• Holy Rosary Parish, Edmonds
• Father Paul Magnan to preside.
• Receptin to follow in parish hall. 

Funeral Mass:

• Thursday, April 11, 2024, at 11am
• Holy Rosary Parish, Edmonds
• Archbishop Paul D. Etienne to preside.
• Concelebrating priests, please bring your own alb and white stole.
• Bishop Frank Schuster to preach. 
• Reception to follow in parish hall.

Committal:

• Thursday, April 11, 2024, at 3pm
• Calvary Cemetery, Seattle
• Father Mark Kiszelewski to preside.