Donald J. Hayes,
age 83, was born May 11, 1934, in East St. Louis, IL.
He died November
19, 2017 at home in Valparaiso, IN, surrounded by his family.
He is survived by
his wife of 62 years, Mary Jean; daughter, Vicky (Garry) Gadd and son,
Donald A. Hayes both of Valparaiso; granddaughter, Lynae (Paul) Kibiger of
Brownsburg, IN; grandsons, Brandon (Desiree) Granzow of Portland, OR and
Jason (Lisa) Hayes of Chesterton, IN; great-grandchildren Avery and Rown
Kibiger, Koyie and Colt Hayes and Jovie Granzow.
He was preceded in
death by his parents, Earl and Mable Hayes; son, Garry Hayes, grandson Ryan
Granzow and great-granddaughter Annesly Kibiger.
Don attended Edison
High School in Gary, IN, and then joined his father building oil storage
tanks for Chicago Bridge and Iron, traveling the USA. Shortly after his
marriage to Mary Jean, Don began working locally, retiring from U.S. Steel
in 1999. Don loved to build things around the house. Often when Mary Jean
was away for a few days, he would surprise her with a garden project that he
knew would please her. He built arbors, decks, bars, house-additions,
fences, and more. He was a great car enthusiast, owning over fifty cars
during his lifetime and was skilled at crossword puzzles, solving difficult
puzzles every day. Don finally watched his Cubies win the World Series last
year. He excelled at many sports, including bowling, golf, and softball. In
softball, he was a power-hitter and home-run king; in fact, his grand-slam
home-run won the tournament in 1970. With Mary Jean and friends, he took
many fun vacations and cruises, Hawaii being his favorite.
A memorial
visitation will be held on Saturday, November 25, 2017, from 10:00 a.m. to
12:00 p.m., with a memorial service at 12:00 p.m., at Edmonds & Evans
Funeral Home, 517 Broadway, Chesterton, IN 46304 with Pastor Craig Forwalter
officiating.
In lieu of flowers,
you may send donations to the Leukemia Research Foundation, 191 Waukegan
Rd., Ste. 105, Northfield, IL, 60093.