William R. “Bill” Haden passed away Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Providence Newberg Medical Center, at the age of 82. Born April 29, 1942, in Beckley, to the late J. Richard and Alma Jo Haden, he lived a life filled with dedication to higher education and to his church community, traveling the world, reading, classical music, and baseball.
He will be deeply missed by his family and friends and is survived by the children from his first marriage: his daughter, Laura McKinney (Walter) of Morgantown; his son, Douglas Haden (Allison) and his grandchildren, Natalie and Lauren of Charlotte, N.C. He is also survived by his brothers, J. Richard Haden, Jr. (Mary Kay) of Kennett Square, and James F. Haden (JoAnne) of Charlotte; a niece and several nephews; his long-time partner, Doris Huff of Wilsonville, Ore., her daughters, Jennifer Beal (Steve), Melissa Olson (Gunnar), and their children.
Raised in Morgantown, W.Va., Bill was a born extrovert who enjoyed meeting new people and engaging them with his well-developed sense of humor.
He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 1964 from West Virginia University, where he was also a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. He received a master’s degree in Government from The George Washington University in 1965. He was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree from the University of Charleston in December 1999. In 2005, his alma mater awarded him a distinguished services award for his contributions and achievements in higher education.
Following graduate school, he served in the U.S. Army as a Military Intelligence officer in Portland and left the Army as a First Lieutenant.
In 1967, he returned to West Virginia to begin his career in educational fund raising and higher education administration. He held positions in Development, Alumni Relations, and Public Affairs at West Virginia University, the University of Rochester, The University of Chicago, and Reed College in Portland, Ore. He was also acting president of Reed in the early 1990s.
He returned to West Virginia in 1994, where he served an 11-year tenure as president of West Virginia Wesleyan College. He retired from that position at the end of the 2006 academic year, where he was the second-longest serving president in the College’s history.
During his career, Bill was a founding member of the West Virginia PROMISE Scholarship Program Board of Control. He served as a Trustee of the Methodist Theological School in Ohio from 2000-2006 and served as a member of The United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) from 2000- 2008. He also served on the Board of Directors of Africa University in Zimbabwe from 2009-2012.
In retirement, his experience in and commitment to higher education infused his service as a life trustee on the Willamette University Board of Trustees. Bill served as the co-chair of the RA Booth Society of Willamette University, in addition to his very generous provision in his estate plan for Willamette’s endowment.
Bill was always willing to share his extensive leadership skills throughout his retirement, serving on the board of directors for multiple organizations. In July 2007, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, and in 2011 he became a member of the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette. In October 2006, he was elected to the Board of Directors of Chamber Music Northwest, where he eventually served as president of the Board, which was a fitting post given his love of classical music to the end of his life.
He served as the chair of the Board of Trustees of the First United Methodist Church in Portland, where he was a member for all the years he lived in Oregon. He was also a member of the Board of Directors on the Northwest United Methodist Foundation.
One of his proudest accomplishments in retirement was serving as chairman of the Portland Host Committee for General Conference in 2016. In that role, he was responsible for recruiting and training more than 600 volunteers to greet the thousands who arrived in Portland from around the world to attend The United Methodist Church’s General Conference.
Bill lived at SpringRidge Court for the last years of his life and his family wishes to express its appreciation for the excellent care provided to him.
Family and friends are welcome to join the memorial service celebrating his life, which will be held at 12 noon April 12, in First United Methodist Church, 1838 Southwest Jefferson Street, Portland. A reception at the church, with a light lunch will follow immediately after the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to First United Methodist Church of Portland or Willamette University.
Condolences may be shared at Legacy.com
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