Colleen Sinnott Hayes

Sandwich - Colleen Sinnott Hayes of Sandwich, Massachusetts died on July 30, 2024. She was 71.

Colleen was born June 17, 1953 in Providence, RI. She graduated from Burrillville High School. She was married to Timothy Ware from 1973 to 1979, and had her daughter Beth with him. As a single mother she went to college at night, earning her associate's degree in paralegal studies from Johnson and Wales University in Providence.

Colleen later became a paralegal, working for several law firms in Providence, including Partridge Snow and Hahn. She met her future husband Stephen Hayes at an all-day business sale transaction on Friday, January 13, 1989. Ever since, Colleen and Stephen celebrated Friday the 13th as their lucky day.

Colleen then received her bachelor's degree from Johnson and Wales. In her 40's she decided to shift careers from paralegal to law librarian. She received her master's in library science degree from the University of Rhode Island after two years of attending classes at night and on weekends. She worked as a law librarian at several firms, eventually returning to Partridge Snow and Hahn.

Colleen and her husband moved to Sandwich in 2003. After a few years commuting to Providence, she took a position as reference librarian at the Sandwich Public Library. She retired from the library in 2019. After her retirement she worked part time at the Sandwich Council on Aging, and most recently worked as a substitute librarian at the Sandwich Public Library.

Colleen enjoyed reading, especially historical fiction and new fiction, travel, especially around Cape Cod and New England as well as to Ireland, walks in her neighborhood and around the town, seeing people at the library, and spending time with family and friends.

Colleen leaves her husband Stephen P. Hayes of Sandwich, her daughter Beth Ware Haneiwich and husband Jon of Pawtucket, RI, her son Thomas Hayes of Sandwich, her grandson Alex Proietti of Norfolk, VA, her sister Gail Thomas and husband Don of Lake Royale, NC, her sister Judy of Harrisville, RI, and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her father Frank Sinnott, originally from Wexford, Ireland, and her mother Anna Sinnott of Harrisville, RI.

A memorial service will take place on Monday, August 12 at 12:00 noon at St. John's Episcopal Church, 159 Main Street in Sandwich, followed by a celebration of life at the Canalside Pavilion at the Sagamore Inn, 1131 Sandwich Road in Sagamore.

The family requests in lieu of flowers that donations be made to The Friends of the Sandwich Public Library, PO Box 490, East Sandwich, MA 02637.