James Daniel Hayward, whose family moved from New Orleans to Pensacola in 1927, died unexpectedly on Saturday, June 19, 2021. Born on Christmas Day, 1949, he was 71 years old.

Jimmy, as he was known, owned J.D. Hayward Photography for more than 50 years. His successful portrait practice left him ample time to pursue his passion for capturing the ghostly geography of the South with his surrealistic black and white photographs. His multiple, often disparate, images created into a single photograph in the darkroom remind us that we are bound by only self-imposed limits.

He was published widely in national magazines. He participated in many one-man shows and joint exhibitions, consistently winning honors and purchase prizes.

While maintaining his photography business, he had two other careers as a broker with A.G. Edwards & Sons and as a part of his family’s Pensacola Builders Supply Co.

As with his photography, Jimmy lived with few limits. He started sailing when he was 5, a craft he learned from his late father, Ashton James Hayward. A member of the Pensacola Yacht Club for a half century, he was a stellar sailor, first aboard the Robin Hood, then aboard the Nikki.

He was a story-teller, with hundreds of tales in his repertoire. He loved jokes, and he seemingly didn’t forget any of them.

He graduated from the then-Pensacola Junior College, then studied finance and accounting at the University of West Florida. He spent six years in the U.S. Army reserves.

Jimmy was proud of his two sons, Air Force Lt. Col. James Daniel Hayward III, his wife, Jen, and three grandchildren, Daniel, Matthew and Ava, and Christopher Young Hayward.

Also surviving are his partner of 30 years, Virginia “Ginny” Graybiel; his sister, Edith “Nikki” Wiltshire; his brother, Ashton James Hayward, Jr. and his wife Sandy; his brother-in-law, Charles Sherrill; five nieces and four nephews. He also is survived by his sons’ mother, Robin Culver.

In addition to his father, he was pre-deceased by his mother, Edith Mortimer Hayward; his sister, Christine Hayward Sherrill; his brother-in-law, William H. F. Wiltshire; and his great nephew, Robert Keeling Spotswood.

Jimmy was a lifelong member of Christ Episcopal Church. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at Christ Episcopal Church, with the Revs. Walt Kindergan and Katie Gillett officiating. Interment will follow at St. John’s Cemetery. Memorial contributions my be made to the church at 18 West Wright Street, Pensacola, FL 32501.