Alumna Profile: Hester “Pat” Davison Hayford ’47

Pat began her Harley schooling in 8th grade and lived at Hollister House, the school’s boarding house (active between 1940-1949) located on East Avenue, from 8th grade through 12th grade.

Her most vivid memories are participating in athletics and of “Mom” Anderson, the head of the kitchen at both Harley and Hollister House.

How did Harley impact you?

Pat was born during the depression and her family moved to Hilton when she was five. She was an only child and didn’t see other kids very often. She attended Hilton schools but, because it was a farming community, most of her peers went until 6th or 8th grade then became farmers.

Her dad believed in education and wanted her to go to college, so he decided she needed to move from this farming community to attend Harley. This was “…a whole new world…more stimulating than the small community.”

Because the world was opened up to Pat through education, she was able to look at things in a different way.

Post-Harley life

After graduating, she attended Goddard College in Vermont, eventually earning a medical technician degree from Larson College (now Quinnipeac College).

When college ended she was “looking for something different to do” and longed to “see the world” so she decided to join the Army. She became a platoon sergeant and helped train new recruits. The goal was for them to be successful and respected. She officially left the Army after two years of service, but married a fellow soldier and became an army wife (which she loved!). Her husband was a translator in the Korean and Vietnam Wars and died while serving in Vietnam.

She was reintroduced to The Harley School after meeting Tammy Roberts (our Lower School Administrative Assistant) at the Honor Flight Rochester mission in April, 2017.

Currently, Pat dances every Wednesday at Charlotte Beach and volunteers for the Girl Scouts.