Obituary of William Kent Haydock

William Kent Haydock, longtime resident of Darien, CT, passed on peacefully at home on February 4, 2019 at the age of 93. He leaves his beloved wife of nearly 63 years, the former Caroline Pinckney Prioleau (Pinky), whom he married in Charleston, SC, as well as their three children and families. Kent was the son of the late Roger and Marjorie Kent Haydock of Wyncote, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia. Following his graduation from Cheltenham High School, where he captained the wrestling team and won the all-suburban wrestling championship, Kent entered the U.S. Naval Air Corps. He became a commissioned naval aviator and ensign as WWII ended. Returning to the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School, Kent graduated in 1949 with a major in Marketing. He continued to excel at wrestling while at Penn, serving as team captain his senior year and placing first at the 1948 Middle Atlantic AAU tournament, pinning opponents with his trademark double-armlock maneuver, dubbed "The Haydock Hold." In a class of 4,500, Kent was recognized as one of the top four "Honor Men", won Penns highest award for all minor sports, and was elected to the Sphinx Senior Society, a select group chosen for their achievement, character, and leadership. He later became an early president of the University of Pennsylvanias Club of Fairfield County. Winning a campus-wide advertising contest at Penn helped Kent land a position with advertising agency N.W. Ayer. There he created a series of cartoon ads that ran in the Saturday Evening Post. His career then shifted to the promotion of magazine advertising at Life magazine, American Weekly (Hearsts Sunday supplement), and subsequently at Readers Digest, where he was elected president of the regional magazine promotion group, MPG. Kent moved on to the promotion of professional journals next, first with American Banker and then Medical Economics. Kent was a devoted member of St. Lukes Episcopal Church in Darien. He was a lay assistant for 25 years, a member of the vestry, an artist, and a writer, among other roles. He was also an active member of the Senior Mens Association, serving a term as president. He taught English as a second language, counseled local small businesses, and was appointed chair of Dariens Deer Management Committee, where he served the community for 15 years, with a special focus on combating Lyme disease. In addition, Kent and Pinky served 20 years on the membership committee of The Tokeneke Club. He long enjoyed playing tennis and bridge, became an award-winning watercolorist, a family genealogist, and a personal investment manager for many years. Devoted to his family and always a gentleman, Kent was a kind and generous man with a strong faith, a wonderful sense of humor, and a real interest in others. He will be dearly missed by his family and large circle of friends. Along with his loving wife and anchor Pinky, he is survived by their three children: William Kent Haydock, Jr. (and Cynthia Fetty) of Burlingame, CA, with his children Sarah (and Christopher) Dall and Andrew Haydock; Caroline (and John) Tibbetts of Darien, with their children Laura (and Robert) Witney and Parker Tibbetts; and Thomas (and Deborah) Haydock of Apex, NC, with their son Christopher Haydock. Kent is also survived by a great-grandson, Mason Dall. In addition, he leaves his sister, Marjorie (Peggy) Haydock McConnell and her husband Howard of Ambler, PA, as well as much-loved nieces and a nephew. He was predeceased by his brother, Roger Haydock, Jr., of Maple Glen, PA. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on March 23, 2019 at St. Lukes Parish, Darien, CT. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to St. Lukes Parish or to Person-to-Person at 1864 Post Road, Darien, CT 06820. Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820