Clyde J.Haden, 84, of Greenville died unexpectedly on March 25, 2009. He was the husband of Alice C. Haden who preceded him in death on March 23, 2009. They were to celebrate their 59th wedding anniversary in August.
Born in Clay Center, Kansas he was a son of the late Clyde and Cecil (Richardson) Haden. He was one of nine children growing up in Clay Center and Junction City, KS.
Upon graduation from Junction City High School in 1943, he entered the service. After completing his duty to his country in 1946, he enrolled in Boston University where he earned his Bachelors degree in Education. While in college he was a member of the varsity football and basketball teams and in his senior year he began his coaching career by coaching the freshman basketball team. Upon graduation, he moved to South West Harbor, ME where he was a teacher and coach at Pemetic High School. While at Pemetic, he led the basketball team to the state championship in 1957.
He moved on to Mechanic Falls, ME and taught and coached for three years before moving on to Bath, ME and Morse High School in 1960. At Morse High, his basketball teams were back-to-back state champions in 1961-62 and 1962-63 and were New England runner-ups in 1963. His Morse High team of 1962-63 was entered into the Basketball Hall of Fame and in 2005, was enshrined in the New England Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1968, he took his coaching excellence to Rhode Island at Scituate High School. At Scituate, his 1969-70 team earned the first ever Class C North Championship for the school. He officially retired as a basketball coach in 1975 compiling a coaching record of 322 wins and only 140 losses.
Coach Haden also worked for the Red Auerbach Basketball School for 41 years and was planning to attend the 50th year anniversary this July at Bryant University.
Although officially retired, Coach Haden spent many an afternoon helping the Scituate Girls basketball program and the Boys Basketball Program.
He retired from teaching in 1990 after a 40 year teaching career.
Coach Haden was a loyal and devoted husband, father, Pop-Pop, teacher, coach and had a great love for life. He loved his backyard vegetable gardening and was an avid fan of the Boston Celtics. He loved spending special times with his two grandsons, family and friends.
Clyde will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by his two surviving sons, Scott A. Haden, husband of LuAnn of Lititz, PA and Steven W. Haden, husband of Debra of Coventry and two grandchildren, Andrew, a senior at Penn State University and Daniel, a freshman at Penn State university. He was the youngest of 9 brothers and sisters and is also survived by his sister, Marcine Ryan of Abilene Kansas.
Services will be held for Coach Haden and his wife, Alice Haden, on Saturday, March 28 in the Anderson-Winfield Funeral Home, Rt 44 at Greenville Common, Greenville. Visitation 9-10am. Funeral Service at 10am. Private burial in Kansas. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made in memory of Coach Clyde J. Haden to the Scituate Scholarship Foundation c/o Jean Angel, Athletic Director, Scituate High School, 94 Trimtown Road, Scituate, RI 02857. A Scholarship Fund in Coach Haden’s name will be established to benefit a distinguished senior athhelete participating in the Men’s Basketball program and a distinguished senior athhelete participating in the Women’s Basketball program who will attend college.