Obituary: Benjamin Haydon Spalding Jr., 89, Bardstown
Benjamin Haydon Spalding Jr., 89, of Bardstown, died Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, and entered into his eternal reward. He was born Aug. 9, 1935, in Louisville.
He attended Bethlehem Academy and graduated from St. Joseph Preparatory School in 1953. He married Ann Reynolds Everett on Jan. 5, 1957. Together, they raised their family of five children in Bardstown, where Hhe was the fourth-generation owner of Spalding and Sons, a retail clothing store in continuous operation from 1856 to 2013. He was deeply proud of “the store” and its tradition of service to generations of Nelson County families, as well to the many tourists who visited Bardstown, the hometown he so dearly loved.
He was a championship-level amateur golfer. He was a member of the golf team at Xavier University and the University of Kentucky. He would go on to compete in tournaments throughout the Southeast, winning the My Old Kentucky Home club championship 11 times, and he earned the distinction of being a three-time champion of the Bourbon Open. One of his greatest pleasures in life was golfing with his son, Ben, as well as with the cherished friends who were part of the same golf foursome for more than 50 years. If golf is a gentleman’s game, then he was one of its greatest local ambassadors.
He was a man who loved his Church, his family, his friends, and his community, and he was blessed to have that love returned to him over the many years of his distinguished life.
The Spalding family would like to thank Cooper Trail Senior Living, Barton House Memory Care, and Hosparus of Louisville for their devoted and compassionate care of Haydon during the last two years of his life.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Benjamin Haydon and Martha Ball Spalding; his beloved wife, Ann Everett Spalding; his loving daughter Madge Spalding Polin; and his cherished brothers-in-law, Paul Cowden and Addison Everett.
He is survived by three daughters, Sallie Spalding Walsh (Chris), Kelley Spalding, and Mary Spalding Hepditch (Scott); one son, Ben Spalding; one sister, Suzi Cowden; twonieces, Kelley Cowden Hodgson (Jesse), and Lucy Cowden Gess (Ben); and his grandchildren Jacob Spalding, Elise Spalding, Haydon Hepditch and Addison Hepditch.
Visitation is 3-8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, and 9-10:15 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, at Barlow Funeral Home with the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. Nov. 5, 2024, officiated by The Most Rev. Charles C. Thompson, Archbishop of Indianapolis. Burial is in the church cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to Alzheimer’s Association and Bethlehem High School.
Barlow Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
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