John James Hayes Sr.

John J. Hayes passed away January 30, 2016 at age 89. He had a full life. This is not meant to be a sorrowful time but the story to celebrate a life fulfilled.
He was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the only child of Christine and Frank Hayes, on April 4, 1926. His parents and he moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where he was reared. Immediately following graduation from Westport High School in 1943, he joined the U.S. Navy and was trained as a Hospital Corpsman and assigned to The 1st Marine Division of the Fleet Marine Force. Although he was as a sailor, he always considered himself to be a Marine, since he spent most of his military time wearing the Marine Green. He made the invasion of the islands of Peleliu, Okinawa and was a member of the occupying forces in North China after the war. He received a Bronze Star Medal for Valor, a Purple Heart Medal for the Peleliu Campaign and a second Bronze Star Medal for Valor and meritorious promotion for his action during the Okinawa Campaign. He spent a total of 30 months in the Pacific theater of war.
He returned home and after several months he joined the U.S. Coast Guard and was assigned to Puerto Rico He returned home after one year and married Miss Betty Smith, the mother of his seven children, and returned to Puerto Rico to complete his enlistment.
After his discharge, he worked for the U.S. Public Health Service and then enrolled at the University of Missouri and graduated in 1953. He was accepted in graduate school at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated with a Masters Degree in Hospital Administration in 1956. He became a Fellow in the American College of Hospital Administrations in 1966.
His career spanned 38 years, operating hospitals which concluded in 1992 in Port Lavaca, Texas. During his career he served as Director of Medical Services of the Territory of Guam in 1963 and 1964 under the late Governor Bill Daniel, the first civilian Governor of the Territory. Later he was employed by Children's Medical Relief International from 1969-1970 and opened the National Plastic Surgery Hospital for Vietnamese Children in Saigon, Viet Nam. He received the Health Medal from the Republic of Vietnam. He also served as administrator at several Texas Hospitals including St. Mary's Infirmary in Galveston, Hedgecroft Hospital in Houston, Matagorda County Memorial Hospital in Bay City, Sheppard Memorial Hospital in Burnet and Memorial Medical Center in Port Lavaca. While administrator of the Shepperd Memorial Hospital he wrote the grant and received $150,000 to establish the Hospice, which now operates out of the Seton Highland Lakes Hospital in Burnet, Texas.
He is survived by his seven children, John and wife Maureen Hayes, Dan Hayes, Joe Hayes, Kathy Wagner, Janice Smith and husband David, Margaret Hayes, Nancy Hayes, and his seven grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren and his beloved wife Mildred Pesek Hayes of 41 years. Mildred is the daughter of Charlie and Anna Pesek (both deceased) of Shiner.
Services will be held Tuesday, February 2, 2016, at 10:00 am at the St. Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church in Shiner Texas with interment in the Shiner Catholic Cemetery.
Pall bearers are grandsons Eric, Matthew and Jared Smith, Michael Wagner, Dr. Nick Pomonis, Mr. Joe Crow and Chad Crow.
Please, no flowers. Memorials may be sent to the Little Sisters of the Poor, 8745 James A. Reed Road, Kansas City, MO 64138-9958 or online at: www.littlesistersofthepoor.org.
Arrangements by Clements Wilcox Funeral Home, Marble Falls, Texas.
Online condolences may be made at: www.clementswilcoxfuneralhome.com