Dr. Kitchener Hayman grew up in the St. Stephen area, attending public school and high school there. After high school, he attended and graduated from the University of King’s College in Halifax in 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts. While at King’s, Kitch enlisted in the Canadian Officers’ Training Corps, which brought him to Ontario for training with the Armoured Corps at Camp Borden during the summer. After graduating, he served with the Halifax Rifles at Eastern Command in Halifax. He then went to the University of Western Ontario (now Western University) in London for his Master of Business Administration (MBA), where he met his wife, Yvonne (nee McKee), in 1954. He graduated in 1955.
Kitch and Yvonne were married on August 11, 1956 in the chapel at Western. They welcomed their first child Scott in 1960, and their second child Tara in 1962. They began raising their children in London, Ontario before relocating to Toronto in 1965.
Kitch co-founded C.A.P Limited, a mutual fund administration business, where he served as president for 10 years. He went on to become Vice President of Mutual Funds Management Limited (later Guardian Capital) in Toronto for the next 10 years. His career in business involved significant travel. Two of his favourite experiences were trips with Yvonne to East Africa, where he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and to Japan, where they visited Expo ’70 in Osaka.
Kitch made the decision to go back to school and attended the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto. After graduating in 1980, he went on to practice in downtown Toronto from 1980 until his retirement in 2005. He was one of the few practitioners willing to treat patients with HIV in the early days of the epidemic. He returned to school one final time to obtain his Master of Science in Nutrition from Bridgeport University in 1984. While practicing, he became Executive Vice President of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College from 1985 – 1988, guiding the College through its accreditation process.
Kitch was a devoted family man, inspiring curiosity and compassion in his children and grandchildren. He adopted Yvonne’s family in Grey – Bruce counties as his own and spent many happy days visiting and attending family events. A lifelong learner, he was a strong believer in self-improvement. A voracious reader, Kitch enjoyed fiction as well as classics and stayed current on world events; discussing many topics, from world politics to the arts and more whenever he got the chance. When it came to listening to music, classical, opera and big band jazz were his favourites. In the mid-1970s, he and his son Scott became glider pilots, both earning their flying licences quickly. Kitch went on to become an instructor, helping many men and women learn to enjoy the freedom of the air. Kitch also volunteered for many years at the Central YMCA as an aquafit instructor, leading his morning class into his 80s. Kitch and Yvonne were active hikers and spent many wonderful days on the trails in and around the Algonquin Park area.
Kitch passed away peacefully at Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital, Toronto, on Saturday, August 29, 2026, in his 97th year.
Beloved husband of Irene Yvonne (McKee) Hayman. Loving father of Scott (Lisa) of Oakville, and Tara Hayman of Toronto. Cherished grandfather of Alexandra, Madeleine, Reed, Linden and Rowan, and great-grandfather of Lily. Dear brother of Dawne Hayman-Tilton of Kennebunk, Maine. Brother-in-law of Deane Calder of Leduc, AB.
The family would like to express their deep gratitude to the Palliative Care team at Mount Sinai – Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital for their kind and compassionate care.
Cremation has taken place and a celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Memorial donations to the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.
