Cassandra M. Hayden

Cassandra, a native Washingtonian, was born June 16th 1951 to the late Mary Louise and Herbert Hayden. Sandy, as she was affectionately known, was granted her angel wings on October 2nd, 2013 after fighting a long battle with cancer. While making her peaceful transition, she was surrounded by her beloved sisters; Deidre, Jean, Jenise, and Joan.

Cassandra was educated in the District of Columbia public school system, graduating from Burdick Vocational High School and attending Federal City College/UDC. She displayed exemplary dedication and leadership to her career with the DC Government Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs for over 35 years, receiving many awards and accolades for her work. She exuded so much passion for her job that she was still gainfully employed with them up until the time of her passing.

Possessing an open and loving heart, she extended herself to mentor many youth and “surrogate-daughters”. Sandy was highly respected, loyal, and loving. Sandy was definitely the person that you would meet and fall in love with. There was nothing she would not do for the people she cared for and sometimes the people that she didn’t even know.  She was very fashionable and carried a high sense of pride and dignity in the way she carried herself. Cassandra took no prisoners when it came to her business and her love. She LOVED hand dancing, traveling, joking, and relaxing with close friends. To many people that knew her, she was larger than life. Her favorite song was Lowdown by “Boz Scaggs”, which she would break out into her famous two step while singing the lyrics as she went along anywhere she heard it.

In 1970, Sandy gave birth to her son and the love of her life, Roland Marlow Hayden, with whom she shared a very special bond. She was an avid collector of stuffed animals and dolls. Her infectious laughter and witty personality endeared her to numerous people. She will be dearly, truly, and whole heartedly missed.

She is survived by her beloved sister, Deidre Betterton, and niece Shannon Betterton, Aunt Inez and Uncle Sonny, cousins Michelle and Tinkle.  Sandy is preceded in death by her son Roland Marlow Hayden, her mother Mary Louise Betterton, her father Herbert Hayden, and step-father Roland Betterton.