Barbara Darrow Hays

1927 - 2018

Barbara Darrow Hays, daughter of Louise deSchweinitz Darrow and Daniel Cady Darrow, was born June 11, 1927, in St. Louis, Missouri. She died January 31, 2018 at Juniper Village Memory Care Community in Louisville, Colorado. Barbara - called Bobby - was the second of five children. The family moved to Hamden, Connecticut where Bobby attended public school, graduating from Hamden High School in 1944. Bobby went to Swarthmore College where she met and later married Samuel P. Hays in 1948, after graduation. In college, Barbara and Sam became Quakers, and were actively involved in the Friends Meeting for many years, especially during their time in Pittsburgh. Barbara and Sam moved to Cambridge, MA to attend graduate school. Bobby received her Master's in Biology from Radcliffe in 1949, and taught biology at Simmons College for 3 years while Sam completed his PhD. Sam's first teaching job took the couple to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, where their oldest son was born. Their next move was to Iowa City, Iowa, where their other 3 children were born. One more move in 1960 took the family to Pittsburgh where they spent the next 40 years. While in Pittsburgh, Bobby had primary responsibility for raising their 4 children. She also maintained her professional interest in biology, and as soon as her youngest child was in school, began a series of teaching and research positions at several local colleges, culminating in 17 years at the University of Pittsburgh as Director of Undergraduate Advising for the Biological Sciences Department. During that time, her adventurous spirit led her to travel the world in 1984 as Registrar and Assistant to the Academic Dean with the Semester at Sea program. In retirement, she passed on her love of science to hundreds of school children as a docent for the Museum of Natural History, introducing them to the Carnegie Museum dinosaurs and the world of natural history. Barbara's intellectual curiosity, and energetic presence led her to pursue diverse activities throughout her life. Barbara enjoyed hiking and biking, as well as swimming, sailing and kayaking at their summer cottage in Interlochen, Michigan. She took up recorder playing as an adult and enjoyed playing music with others. She maintained an interest in environmental issues, first with the League of Women Voters and later with the Sierra Club. She collaborated with her husband in his writing on environmental history, bringing to his work her knowledge of biology. Her love of family and friends led her to create lasting memories with extended family through shared Thanksgivings, summer gatherings at Interlochen, and holiday traditions including Moravian Christmas cookies, sugar cake, and love of dark chocolate. In 2000, Barbara and Sam moved to Boulder, Colorado to be near two of their children, and three grandchildren. Bobby again became involved in the community as a volunteer for Boulder County Open Space, playing recorder with the local recorder society, and hosting newcomers to Frasier Meadows Retirement community. She continued to pursue her love of the outdoors, biking, hiking and skiing in the mountains, and completing the Bolder Boulder 10 times. Bobby's last three years were spent in the care of the dedicated staff at Juniper Village Memory Care Community in Louisville, CO. She was preceded in death by her husband, Samuel, and is survived by their 4 children: Peter Hays of Eugene, Oregon, Polly Hays of Denver, Colorado, Michael Hays of Chicago, Illinois, and Becky Bragg of Boulder, Colorado, and their immediate and extended families. Bobby's remarkable spirit touched many lives and will be long remembered. A remembrance in honor of Bobby's life will be held at Frasier Meadows Manor, Assisted Living in Boulder on Saturday March 03 at 1:00 PM. Contributions in her memory may be made to the Pittsburgh Friend's Meeting Quaker Community Fund, the Alzheimer's Association of Colorado, or an organization of your choosing.