Robert Byron Hayes

May 31, 1922 - October 2, 2015 Robert Byron Hayes, of Everett, Wash. passed away October 2, 2015 after a brief illness. He was 93 years old. Byron was a devoted husband, father and friend. He leaves a host of admirers to preserve his memory. Many people will recall his red Corvette, his easy smile, and his generosity. Byron was born in Austin, Minnesota on May 31, 1922 to Robert and Florence Hayes. He served as an aviator in the Marine Corps from 1943 through 1946. Along the way, he met and married Mary Beth Strahan of Pasadena, California. Byron graduated as an aeronautical engineer from the University of Minnesota in 1950 and worked for many years at the Convair Company in San Diego and at the Boeing Company in Seattle and Everett. He retired from Boeing in 1989. Byron was predeceased by his wife, Mary and daughters, Geraldine Bryant and Joyce Hayes. He is survived by his children, Dick Bryant, Robert Hayes, Susan and Jim Thompson, Bruce Hayes and Sterling Morris, Julie and Eric Wilson, Douglas and Denise Hayes and their families, including five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Byron is also survived by his brother, Herbert Hayes and cousins, Vaughn Stevens and Wayne Stevens, fellow WWII veterans. Byron was capable and competent at everything he set his mind to. He was generous to those close to him and friendly to everyone he met, and he always had plans for a project at the family cabin, for one more cruise, one more train trip, one more photography project, or one more project around the house. When he was not on an adventure, he could often be found at one of the local coffee shops working a crossword puzzle. Time did not seem to slow him down, and we are all richer for our years knowing him. In lieu of flowers, please give a gift to your favorite charity or to your neighbors. And when you think of Byron, lift a coffee cup, think a good thought, and imagine watching his Corvette tail lights head down the road, steady and true. Cheers!