| PAUL E. HAYES SON, BROTHER, ALTER BOY, SAILOR, HUSBAND, DAD, COACH, BUSINESS MAN, WRITER, INVENTOR, HERO, DEACON, KAHUNA, SINGER, HOME BUILDER, FRIEND, AND A GREAT MAN! |
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PAUL HAYES IS MY DAD, OK SIBLINGS....OUR DAD! DAD NEVER LIKED TO BE FUSSED OVER AND EVEN AS A CHILD, HE SAID IF THEY GOT HURT THEY JUST "WRAPPED IT UP AND LET IT GO". EVEN DURING HIS ALZHEIMER ILLNESS, DAD PORTRAYED THE SAME HUMBLE ATTITUDE HE TOOK HIS KNOCKS AND CONTINUED ON... DAD WAS A RELIGIOUS MAN, AND WAS KNOWN TO BE THE OLDEST LIVING ALTER BOY IN THE HISTORY OF "LITTLE FLOWER" AND IT WAS SAID THAT BEFORE HE SERVED IN WORLD WAR II, HE WAS CONSIDERING THE PRIESTHOOD! OH MY! AND SO IT WAS AFTER HIS SERVICE, THAT HE MET OUR BEAUTIFUL MOM AND TOGETHER THEY HAD 9 CHILDREN AND GAVE US A WONDERFUL CHILDHOOD, AND OUR CATHOLIC UPBRINGING HAS STAYED WITH US ALL! FOR A LIVING DAD FABRICATED ORNAMENTAL IRON AND SO HE, ALONG WITH HIS BROTHERS RAN A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS HE SUFFERED MANY LOSSES THROUGH OUT HIS LIFE... AN INFANT SON "ROBERT", PARENTS, BROTHERS, AND FRIENDS... BUT DAD ALWAYS RETAINED A DIGNIFIED RESOLVE AND WOULD RETURN TO A LIFE GOES ON MODE. DAD TAUGHT US THAT LIFE IS TO BE LIVED, AND DAD LIVED, HE ENJOYED LIFE AND WAS A INSPIRATION TO US ALL. DAD ALWAYS TOLD US THAT... "IF YOU DON'T HAVE FUN IT IS "YOUR OWN DAMN FAULT!" (DAD'S FAVORITE QUOTE!) DAD AND HIS BROTHERS KEN AND VINCE STARTED THEIR OWN ORNAMENTAL IRON WORKS SHOP CALLED "HAYES BROTHERS", WHICH STILL THRIVES TODAY AND IS RAN BY MY BROTHERS GARY, DOUG & GREG AND OUR COUSIN PAT. ANOTHER ACCOMPLISHMENT OF MY DAD'S WAS THAT HE BUILT OUR CHILDHOOD HOME THAT WE GREW UP IN. HE CLEARED THE LAND, AND DUG THE WELL, AND KEPT ADDING ON AS US KIDS KEPT COMING! MY MOTHER LIVES AT THE HOMESTEAD STILL. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL HOME TO GROW UP IN. YES WE HAD GREAT PARENTS AND A WONDERFUL CHILDHOOD, PLAYING IN THE SANDBOX, RIDING BIKES AND PLAYING TAG AND BASEBALL, MALTED MILKS AND WAFFLES, CASTOR OIL AND "SHOULDERS BACK" CATHOLIC SCHOOL, AND WALKS BY THE RIVER. WATCHING PLANES COME IN AT THE AIRPORT AND SUMMERS AT THE LAKE. BEING ONE OF 9 CHILDREN, GARY, KATIE, DANNY, PAULA, JIM, DOUG, SHARON, & GREG (8 OF US LIVING, OUR BABY BROTHER ROBERT DIED) WE ALL EACH OF US SOMEHOW FELT THAT WE WERE THE FAVORITE! DAD LOVED LANGUAGE, AND HE LOVED TO SCREW IT UP! HE WOULD TAKE WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEN MIX THEM UP! WHAT A TALENT! I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT DAD DID DOUBLE THINKING....THE WORD THAT HE WANTED, AND THEN HE FIGURED OUT HOW TO SCREW IT UP!! MY DAD WAS A KIND AND HONEST MAN. HE HAD A WONDERFUL SENSE OF HUMOR, AND EVERYONE LOVED HIM. HE WAS A COACH FOR LITTLE LEAGUE WHEN MY BROTHERS PLAYED BASEBALL, AND MEN, WHO PLAYED UNDER HIS COACHING, STILL CALL HIM "COACH" ! MY DAD WAS A TRUE "COACH"...WIN OR LOSE, HE PLAYED THEM ALL! MANY CALLED MY DAD KAHUNA TOO. THAT NICK-NAME STARTED AFTER HIS AND MOM'S TRIP TO HAWAII. ANOTHER NAME MY DAD WAS KNOWN BY WAS "DEACON", A NAME GIVEN HIM WHILE HE SERVED AS CHAPLAIN AT THE POST. MY DAD NEVER STOPPED LEARNING. HE WAS TAKING COLLEGE COURSES BEFORE HIS ILLNESS TOOK HOLD, AND HE NEVER LOST HIS ZEST FOR LEARNING. MY DAD WAS ALSO A WRITER. HE HAD A MONTHLY ARTICLE IN THE AMERICAN LEGION PAPER. AND DAD NEVER HESITATED TO WRITE INTO THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER IF HE WANTED TO COMMENT ON SOME INJUSTICE! DAD LOVED MUSIC TOO, OH HOW HE TRIED TO LEARN TO PLAY THE PIANO! WE ALL CRINGED WHEN WE HEARD HIM PRACTICE "MOCKINGBIRD HILL!" HE ALSO SANG IN A BARBER SHOP QUARTET! BUT I THINK THAT BEST OF ALL HE HAS BEEN A FANTASTIC TEACHER, HE HAS TAUGHT US SO MUCH! MY DAD WAS MANY THINGS TOO MANY PEOPLE, AND I FEEL MOST FORTUNATE AND VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT PAUL HAYES WAS MY DAD. POPS NAVAL PAGE |