 William Haywood died on his 81st birthday, 2 November 1957, from a cerebral haemorrhage in Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham.In his Will, he directed that his body be cremated and the ashes placed in a bronze urn located in his private vault in the churchyard at Edgbaston Old Church.He made it clear that he did not want notices of his death made public until after his cremation, which occurred on 7 November 1957, but this was not heeded and a full obituary appeared in the Birmingham Post on 5 November 1957.