Hazel L. (Mason) Hadley

Hazel Mason Hadley of Palmyra, PA, died of natural causes on Wednesday, December 27, 2017.   She was the wife of the late Wayne B. Hadley (1926-2001), to whom she was married 05 June 1954 in Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago.

Born 15 August 1920 in Sherman, Texas, she was the daughter of Harrell C. and Hazel Wager Mason. In 1923 the family moved to Dallas, Texas, where she graduated from the public schools.

She received a B.A. degree in mathematics from the University of North Texas, Denton, in 1941. At UNT she was elected to the national honor societies Alpha Chi and Kappa Delta Pi. In 1945 she received an M.A. degree in mathematics from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, where she was elected to the national mathematics honor society Kappa Mu Epsilon. While at UNM, she was a civilian instructor in mathematics in the U.S. Navy V-5 and V-12 programs. In 1953-54 she did graduate work full-time in mathematics education at the University of Chicago.

In addition to UNM, her mathematics teaching career included public high schools in Decatur and Denton, Texas; Roswell, New Mexico; Grand Prairie, Texas; and Berkeley, California. She also taught at Mary Hardin-Baylor College, Belton, Texas, and the Ohio State University at Columbus. She did substitute teaching in Oak Park, Illinois, and M. S. Hershey high schools. She retired a number of years ago.

Publications include a number of professional articles on mathematics teaching (most recent in 1986); a book, Behold God’s Love: A Year of Meditations for Junior Highs (Richmond, VA: John Knox Press, 1957).

She was active all her life in church work. Raised Southern Presbyterian, she was also affiliated with other denominations at various times. In Palmyra, she was a former member of Trinity United Church of Christ where she was a Sunday school teacher and Women’s Guild member. Subsequently, she was a member of First United Methodist Church, and belonged to the Young at Heart circle and the Quilters group.

She was a charter member of the Hershey Museum, and joined the volunteer staff in the curatorial department from 1984-2004, dealing with catalog management and records for the museum collection.

She was a member and past chairman of the Palmyra Friends of the Library. She was a former member and secretary of the Palmyra Woman’s Club. She was a charter member and past secretary of the Alpha and Omega Button Club.

She moved to the Lebanon Valley Brethren Home, Palmyra, in 2004, and to the Lebanon Valley Home, Annville, in 2016.

She is survived by a daughter, Nancy Lynn Hadley Lyon, wife of Kerry T. Lyon, Arlington, Virginia, and a brother, Harrell C. Mason, Jr., of Tyler, Texas.

Burial and memorial services will be private. If desired, memorial contributions may be made to the church or charity of choice. Rothermel-Finkenbinder Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge of arrangements.  Memories and condolences may be shared at www.finkenbinderfamily.com.

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