Helen Louise Hilton Hayward

Helen Louise Hilton Hayward, 95, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, wife of the late Victor H. Hayward entered into eternal rest Friday, December 6, 2019. Her Funeral Service will be held Saturday, December 14, 2019, in the J. Henry Stuhr Inc., Mount Pleasant Chapel, 1494 Mathis Ferry Road at 11:00 am. Interment will follow in Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston. The family will receive friends at the funeral chapel on Saturday, December 14, 2019, from 10:00, am until time of the service.
Helen, also known as "Eloise," was born March 21, 1924, in her parents' home on Grove Street across from Hampton Park, Charleston, South Carolina, and was the daughter of the late Ozie Hilton, Jr. and Annie Whetsell Hilton. Her father put $1 down for a house on East Bay Street where she grew up, and the home still stands today. She attended schools in downtown Charleston: Mitchell Elementary, Courtenay Middle, and at the age of 12, Memminger High for 2 years before graduating from Murray Vocational School where she studied Business. Helen played her Hawaiian guitar on WCSC radio, excelled at math enjoyed public speaking, being in the Glee club, the Rifle club and she was a Rainbow Girl.

Her young years were spent picking cotton in the summers in Harleyville. At 16, she interned at Silver's 5 and 10 Cent store on King and Beaufain and took her first job in the business office at W.J. Strickland where her father also worked. She purchased a 1936 Ford for transportation to her next job at the Navy Shipyard where she worked for 7 years starting as a Supply Clerk and eventually being promoted to a supervisory role. The impacts of the Great Depression hit hard, and she shared her Shipyard earnings with her parents to help repair roof leaks. Later, Helen worked at the Cigar Factory on East Bay Street, retired from the business office of Grants Department store in Mt. Pleasant, and retired a second time from her role as the Business Manager at Hardman Realty, Construction, and Insurance Company. Though her most profound job was during WWII when men went to war, like many other "Rosie's" of her time, she and her sister-in-law performed duties that included climbing in and out of the enormous fuel tanks on the Navy Shipyard.

Over the years Helen bought Treasury bonds, and after marrying Victor, used the bonds to purchase a shrimp trawler that provided Victor, her bother-in-law, Donald Coppage and Eddie Heinz jobs working from Shem Creek. She also spent many hours fishing anywhere she could including solo trips deep sea fishing on the local Thunderstar fishing vessel. She loved her children fiercely, could sew, crochet and quilt and taught her grands how to be card sharks. She favored traveling with her husband and children with Donald and Violet on their 26' cabin cruiser from Maryland to Toler's Cove.

Helen was a true Southern Lady. She cherished living in Mount Pleasant, her dogs, birds and she was courageous, brilliant, loving, kind and a beacon of positivity. She is survived by her son, Victor H. Hayward, Jr. (Becky) of Mt. Pleasant, SC; son-in-law William (Bill) W. Sullivan; three granddaughters, Tammy Gleaton Simpo (Robert) of Wando, SC, Cindy Gleaton of Mt. Pleasant, SC, and Heather Hayward Stanley (Jesse) of Goose Creek, SC; and five great-grandchildren, Dylan Thorp, Laurel Thorp, Austin Jessup, Rey Simpo, and Landon Stanley. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Patricia Hayward Sullivan and her husband Victor H. Hayward, Sr.

Memorials may be made to the Brain Trauma Foundation, 228 Hamilton Ave, 3rd Floor Palo Alto, CA 94301.