Charlene Roberts-Hayden, a pioneering Black computer scientist and ministry director in the Archdiocese of Boston, has died at 86 in Boston. No cause of death was released, but she had been in hospice care before her passing on May 11, according to The Boston Globe.
“Known for her unwavering and devoted faith, she is also remembered for her steadfast determination and grit, selfless service to others, and her deep appreciation for life's joys and blessing,” reads an obituary.
Charlene Roberts-Hayden, pioneering Black woman in computer programming, dies https://t.co/vDftoZI2aj
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) May 19, 2025
Born in 1938 in Medford, Massachusetts, Roberts-Hayden attended Notre Dame Academy and later received a degree in mathematics from Boston University in 1960. She was thereafter hired with the federal contractor GTE Government Systems as a software engineer.
With GTE, she helped popularize the Ada programming language, formerly classified during its use by the Department of Defense. As part of her work, she founded the Ada Technology Conference (later ANCOAT) and traveled widely as a technology evangelist for the platform.
Roberts-Hayden later served as a leader in the Special Interest Group on Ada (SIGAda), which has continued to promote the Ada language in various use cases, including air traffic control, banking, rail systems, and space technology. She retired as vice chair of the SIGAda conference in 1996.
Robert-Hayden also lent her skills to local educational institutions, teaching at local colleges and serving in various roles at Mother Caroline Academy, a Black Catholic girls’ school in the Dorchester neighborhood. After retiring, she became the head of the Black Catholic office for the Archdiocese of Boston, where she also sang in the regional Black Catholic Choir. She was a longtime parishioner and Eucharistic Minister at Sacred Heart Church in Newton.
In her adopted home of Martha’s Vineyard, Roberts-Hayden became known as an avid bridge and tennis player, and also formed community with other Black women on the island through the nonprofit Board for the Cottagers (now the Cottagers, Inc.). She moved to the island full-time in her later life.
“A lifelong summer visitor, she designed and built a home in Oak Bluffs in 1991, a cherished gathering place for three generations,” reads her obituary.
“In summer months she could usually be found tending her beautiful gardens or on the tennis court where she was revered for her fierce serve. The home, the memories that live there and those that are still to come stand as a legacy and testament to her love of summer, precious time with family, and enduring friendships.”
In 1996, Roberts-Hayden received the SIGAda Distinguished Service Award, one of several odes of recognition she received for her pioneering work in computer science. Following her death, she was honored with a proclamation and moment of silence in the Massachusetts Senate on May 15.
A funeral Mass was held for Roberts-Hayden on May 19 at St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church in Dorchester, where members of the archdiocesan Black Catholic Choir provided the music.
Roberts-Hayden was predeceased by a son, Robert “Robbie” Hayden III. A marriage to the late historian Robert C. Hayden Jr. ended in divorce. She is survived by her daughters, Dr. Deborah Hayden and Karen McAdams; son, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; and five grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Roberts-Hayden’s memory to Mother Caroline Academy.
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
