It is with great sadness that the family of Ernestine Hayes Newton announces her peaceful passing surrounded by loved ones on May 31, 2025 (just shy of her 101st birthday) at Maplewood Assisted Living in Newtown.

Ernestine was predeceased by her parents, Ernest and Grace Schultz; sisters Genevieve and Faith; and loving husbands Charles R. Hayes and John M. Newton Jr.

A loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Ernestine is survived by her two children: son Richard Hayes and wife Barbara of Middletown, N.J., and daughter Wendy Hayes of Newtown; four grandchildren, Alan Korth of Boulder, Colo., Emily Korth of Rifle, Colo., April Friedman of Lebanon, N.J., and Allison Kopec of Flemington, N.J; and four great-grandchildren, Alexandra and Avery Friedman and Carter and Cameron Kopec.

Raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, along with her two sisters, Ernestine graduated from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., earning a degree in Fashion Design. To pursue a career in the Fashion Industry, she moved to Manhattan where she worked several years before accepting a fashion position in Massachusetts, where she met her future husband, Charles Robert Hayes, a professor of English at Wilbur Academy.

They later relocated to Darien, Conn., where they enjoyed a joyous 16 years and welcomed their son Richard and daughter Wendy into the world. There, Ernestine was a homemaker, class mother, and taught Adult Education sewing classes at night to share her knowledge and love of sewing.

The family moved in 1964 to Wilton where she later continued her education, earning a Master’s Degree in education from Western Connecticut State University leading to a long and rewarding 20-year career as a first grade teacher in Wilton. She loved teaching, the welcoming environment of shared knowledge, and the feel of a supportive environment with her fellow teachers with whom she developed lifelong friendships.

Later in life, after the passing of her husband Charles Hayes in 1970, Ernestine retired from teaching and spent 20 happy years married to John Newton in Wolfeboro, N.H., until his passing in 2015. There she enjoyed the lakes, sitting on her deck, feeding the birds, admiring flowers in the garden and walking her dogs Murphy and Missy. Relaxing by a cozy fire gave her much pleasure on a cold winter evening.

Ernestine was a voracious reader which always kept her mind sharp. Possessing a great sense of humor and enjoying a good laugh with friends and family was always a joy to share. She had an incredibly strong will, a very independent nature and an unmatched zest for life. When asked, “What's the secret to a long life?” she would respond, “Just keep moving."

Throughout her life, the adventure of travel gave her much joy. Memorable trips were taken to Europe, Africa, Alaska, Hawaii and the Caribbean Islands, to name a few. Besides travel, she enjoyed summers on Nantucket Island with her sister Faith, enjoying the beautiful white sand and swimming in the pristine blue ocean. Cookouts on the beach and of course freshly caught lobsters were a must. During winter months she was a downhill skier into her 70s.

She will be deeply missed. Her spirit will continue to live on in the hearts of family and friends.

Service arrangements will be announced in the near future. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the National Audubon Society in her memory as a lover of birds.