Matt and Sharon Hayward met at the Saddle Rack in San Jose during Thanksgiving week, 1994. Sharon was taking western dance lessons at the country western bar and after a Friday lesson, she decided to hang out with some friends. Matt was just out of the Marine Corps and also out with a friend that night. “After chatting, he gave me his number because I would not give him mine. I called several days later. Our first date was a lunch date during the work week,” says Sharon.
Both born and raised in California, Matt is from San Jose and Sharon was raised in Fremont. With strong roots in the Bay Area, the Haywards decided to call San Ramon home after getting married. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but growing up in Fremont, there was a lot of overcast in the morning. In San Ramon, I loved waking to the sunrise. Blackhawk was well known as the premier place to live, and I would always go to the open homes in search of that perfect home. One day we found the one that was perfect for us and our growing family. We lived there for 18 years. In 2020, and about to become empty nesters, we downsized to a smaller home yet still stayed in Blackhawk,” says Sharon.
After serving in the United States Marine Corps, Matt received his degree in Criminal Justice from West Valley College, San Jose. He served for 20 years in law enforcement before retiring in 2018.
Sharon received her Bachelor’s Degree from San Jose State University in Business Administration. She worked in the family business as a third party claim administrator specializing in mass transit, trucking and public entity claims. Her most notable clients were the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway & Transportation District, Santa Clara Valley Transportation District, San Mateo Transit District and many other transit districts throughout the state. Since selling the company in 2012, she has worked for various insurance companies, establishing their own claims departments.
Youth sports were a big part of the Hayward’s life in our community. Matt has coached youth football for San Ramon Valley Thunderbirds Football and high school football at Monte Vista High School. Sharon was an assistant cheer coach and board member for San Ramon Valley Thunderbirds Football and Cheer. She also volunteered for several positions with the Mustang Soccer League and was involved in fundraising for Tassajara Hills Elementary and Monte Vista High School Football. Matt is a member of the VFW, American Legion and Marine League.
Being active around our community is important to Matt and Sharon. Both enjoy hiking around Mount Diablo. Sharon enjoys road cycling and more recently has taken up mountain biking. You can also see both of them riding around on their e-bikes.
The Haywards have three adult children who all graduated from Monte Vista High School. Kenny is the oldest. He played both youth and high school soccer and high school lacrosse. He is an ER nurse in Reno, married to Melanie, with a 3-1/2-year-old son named Owen. David played both youth football and rugby and high school football. He is currently attending West Point Military Academy and playing for Army football. Julia is attending Santa Barbara City College. She was in youth cheerleading and was on both the high school cheer squad and stunt team. The family is completed by two dogs named Murphy and Morgan and a cat named Jazz.
Travel and visiting their kids and grandchild make up a big part of Sharon and Matt’s retirement. “We visit our kids whenever we get the chance. We visit Reno often and have recently traveled to New York, Colorado and Texas to watch David’s football games. We also just returned from a trip to Ireland,” adds Sharon.
Both Sharon and Matt agree that they are grateful to have been able to raise their family in Blackhawk. “We lived in Silver Maple for 18 years before downsizing and moving to the Golf Villas inside the main gate in 2020. We wanted to stay in Blackhawk because of the safe community, friendly people, proximity to downtown Danville, airports and Mt. Diablo. We have thought about and have looked into moving elsewhere, but we have not found any place better than right here. In both homes, we have met some great neighbors and get together often for parties and events.”
By Megan Scott, Resident since 2010 | Photos courtesy of Hayward Family