In Memoriam John Leo Hayden

IN MEMORIAM

John Leo Hayden

February 3, 1945—March 3, 2023

On March 3, 2023, the ranch real estate industry lost one of its pioneering, visionary leaders, John “Leo” Hayden. In 1975, a winter storm that decimated his family’s 500-head cattle herd prompted him to find a career outside of production agriculture. He founded the Property Exchange in Hays, Kansas. Over time that one-man operation grew into Hayden Outdoors Real Estate, an expansive network that currently includes more than 200 brokers and agents across 30 states.

We, at the Land.com Network, celebrate the meaningful life of a “tough, honest, kind man with the heart of a coach who brought out the best in those around him.” Excerpts from his obituary below provide a glimpse of the man he was and his lasting impact on the world.

John Leo Hayden, 78, died Friday, March 3, 2023, in the presence of his loving family and friends. He demonstrated both strength and a fighting spirit from the very beginning. As a young man of just 100 pounds “soaking wet,” his dad Leo Bailey Hayden taught him how to box. He was so proficient at boxing, that it was also his dad who made him quit! Effort was also something Leo didn’t lack. At a very early age, he demonstrated outstanding, natural athletic ability and strove to “outwork the competition.”

While setting several records playing football at Fort Hays State University, Leo found the love of his life in Judy Marcotte Hayden. He pursued his wife with the same determination that he approached all areas of his life. Leo would say, “Judy, I’m watching you walk!”

Upon graduation from college, she finally succumbed to his efforts, and they got married on August 31, 1968, and the rest reads like a fairytale. He loved her with all he was and the two of them shared that love with their three children and eight grandchildren.

Leo was always coaching. He coached his own kids and everyone else’s too. He certainly wasn’t shy, always demanding their best; helping them build the character, friendship, and bonds that would last a lifetime.

He helped many people and their families understand that ‘work is work, but family is what is most important.’

Whether it was winning the State Championship in baseball with a team that “didn’t even know they were good,” to mentoring young men and women in their real estate careers, he was always able to help people to be their best and to achieve more than they might have dreamed. After all, that was who he was, and he wanted others to approach life the same way.

Building a real estate company with his family also gave Leo great pleasure. Mostly, he liked people and found his work “easy” as he was good at his craft, and he loved what he did. Still coaching, he helped many people and their families understand that “work is work, but family is what is most important.” His company, Hayden Outdoors, is a family within itself with deep roots and traditions that will surely continue to cherish their founder and build upon his legacy.

Leo’s relationship with God grew daily. Alongside his wife, who was his best teacher, he led his family down the “right path.” The prayers he led at hunting camps, work functions, and family occasions will no doubt be famous for a long time and will never be duplicated. He was proof that faith can and does make life better.

Read full Obituary

www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com/obituary/JohnLeo-Hayden