John J. Hayes, 91 joined his loved ones who have gone before him on Friday, December 6, 2019.
John graduated from St. Paul’s School Binghamton in 1947, where he met his first love, Anne O’Hare. They built a life together in Kirkwood NY that included 5 children, summer road trips to Florida, BBQs on the back patio listening to Johnny Cash on the reel–to-reel, baseball games in the backyard where once a year he replaced the broken windows from the foul tips, and coaching his Little League team, the Mets with his good friend Bob Howe.
After losing Anne in 1973, Dad was blessed to find love again when he met Joan Emmons. He doubled the size of his family when they married in 1981. He retired from the Press & Sun Bulletin in 1987 and kept busy with fishing with the guys, clam bakes on the deck, “Zac” Day, the “Stella Club”, and lots of grandchildren. Dad never met a St. Patrick’s Day he didn’t love and would make sure he got the girls in the family their green carnations. At the end of the day you could find Dad on the couch “resting his eyes” with his beloved dog Murphy next to him.
He was predeceased by his wives: Anne (O’Hare) Hayes and Joan (Emmons) Hayes, two granddaughters; Melissa Hayes and Maggie Ryan, four sisters and Murphy.
Surviving him are his 10 children: Nancy and Chris Davies (Waverly), Joe and Mary Hayes (St. Cloud, FL), Dan and Lori Hayes (Vestal), Linda and Mike Ketchoyian (Endicott), Jim and Terry Hayes (Philadelphia, PA), Karen and Gary Marshall (Haddonfield, NJ), Eileen and Mike Cunningham (Roswell, GA), Kevin and Cindy Emmons (Binghamton), Ann and Tony Ryan (Boston, MA), and Mark and Frances Emmons (San Francisco, CA); 27 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by sisters in law, Diane O’Hare and Helen O’Neil; brothers and sisters in law, James and JoAnn O’Neil and E. Timothy and Carol O’Hare; one sister and brother in law, Catherine and Frank Marino, and with many loving nieces, nephews, and friends.
John’s family would like to thank the staff at Elderwood Assisted Living Waverly and Elderwood Rehabilitation Waverly for their wonderful care and compassion, and extend special gratitude to his Elderwood Vestal family for the years of care, friendship, love and great parties.
A celebration of John will be held Friday. March 6th at Church of the Holy Family, Endwell. The family will receive friends at church Friday from 10 am until Mass time at 11 am. In lieu of donations, enjoy a cold beer or bowl of ice cream with someone dear to you.