George Hayes Madden, 67, a retired oceanographer with the UnitedStates Navy, died from heart failure on Jan. 10 at his home inLittle Torch Key, Fla.

Mr. Madden was born in Washington D.C., and grew up in theBrookland area of the city. He graduated from Gonzaga College HighSchool in 1958 and from the University of Maryland in 1963. Aftercollege he joined the Naval Oceanographic Office in Suitland,Md.

In 1965 he married Sheila Ann Finneran in North Beach, Md.

In 1977 he moved to Picayune, when NAVOCEANO was relocated toNSTL in Bay St. Louis. George retired in 1997 after over 20 yearsof managing ocean surveys aboard navy vessels including the USNSBartlett, USNS DeSteiger, USNS Gillis, USNS Kane, USNS Lynch, USNSSilas Bent and USNS Wilkes.

Mr. Madden was an active member of St. Charles Boremmeo CatholicChurch, where he served as a Lecture on many Sundays. He enjoyedserving as president of the Picayune Memorial High School’sTouchdown Club when his son Andy Madden (Class of 1990) played forthe Maroon Tide.

While he took great pride in his family and career his proudestmemory was always his participation in the team of Gonzaga studentswho in the fall of 1957, snuck a “Beat St. John’s” banner up thestairs of the Washington Monument and hung it out one of thewindows at the top. A Washington Post photographer who had beentipped off to the prank by his son, a Gonzaga student, was readywith his camera and the resulting photograph soon appeared innewspapers around the country and in some foreign capitals. Shortlythereafter, the National Park Service, which had not been tippedoff to the prank, installed plate glass windows in the monument andthe feat has never been duplicated.

Funeral services will take place on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008, atSt. Aloysius Gonzaga Catholic Church, in Washington, D.C. He willbe laid to rest at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Washington, D.C.

Mr. Madden was preceded in death by his parents, Judge WilliamJ. Madden and Ann Hayes Madden.

He is survived by his wife, Sheila, of Little Torch Key; threechildren, Marianne Wilt of Lake Worth, Fla., Andrew Madden ofAlexandria, Va., and Jennifer Logan of Jackson; a brother, William,of McLean, Va., and five grandchildren.