Lucille Winifred Hayes

May 30, 1922 – October 30, 2021

At ninety-nine years of age, Lucille Winifred Hayes (nee Murphy) of Elmwood Park, Illinois passed away peacefully, surrounded physically and in spirit by those that loved her most. Born to hardworking farmers, Byron and Wreta Murphy of Tarkio, Missouri, Lucille, along with her two brothers, Duane and Leslie were raised on the family farm outside of town. Growing up during the Great Depression, Lucy understood at a young age the power of hard work, a simple life, and gratitude for what God gave her. Lucille was educated in the public school system in a one room school house.  She won a spelling bee in the 8th grade, had a perfect attendance record in high school and won a $50 scholarship. One of few women in her time to seek higher education, Lucille would become quite a trailblazer, attending Platt Gard Business College in nearby St. Joseph, Missouri. She was always called Lucille by her family and friends, but when she went to college, her friends started calling her “Lucy” and that name stuck.While working, Lucy would be set up on a blind date by her best friend at the Frog Hop, a famous dance hall in town. Her date that evening, Bob Hayes, would later become her husband and life partner, but not before hundreds of postcards and letters would be shared between the two as Bob’s Army Air Corp duties brought him around the country and the world for the remainder of the Second World War.After Bob’s return from the war, he would begin working his way up the ladder at Sears Roebuck & Company. Lucy and he grew their family, adding three children, Richard, Donald, and Debra as they moved around the Midwest for Bob’s various positions, ultimately planting roots in Elmwood Park, Illinois so that Bob could commute to Sears Tower in downtown Chicago via the Metra. Lucy and Bob’s new home in Elmwood Park would quickly become an anchor of the community, serving as a welcoming home for neighbors, friends and family as children grew older, moved out, and had children of their own. In their retired years, Lucy and Bob decided to set out on a mission to visit every state capitol in the nation. Patriots, they loved their county and wanted to see all of it, bringing family and friends along for various trips along the way. Lucy and Bob spent much of their free time doing what they loved most; being with their children and grandchildren. Lucy’s porch was the gathering place for family, friends and neighbors and she would host many “Parties on the Porch”. Later in life, Lucy’s largely clean bill of health would be challenged by heart-related ailments, of which her family can attribute to the deep heartbreak of losing her beloved husband years earlier.  In Lucy Hayes, family found a loving home, friends found a caring companion, and neighbors a community anchor. Lucy’s love, compassion, wit, and humor held together the lives of those around her. Her warm smile, gentle demeanor and kind heart made people happier and made her community and the world a better place. She will be missed dearly by so many.The matriarch of the Hayes family, Lucy was the wife of the late Robert “Bob” Hayes, loving mother of three: Richard Hayes (Laura), Donald Hayes (Denise) and Debra (Jack) Gallo , adored grandmother of six: Robert Hayes (JoAnna), Ross Hayes (Aimee), Jas (Ryan) Reber, Jenna (Nick) Sprehe, Nicholas “Nico” Gallo (Kirsty) and Christopher Gallo, devoted great-grandmother to eight: Alexandra Hayes, Alexis Hayes, Riley Hayes, Jackson Sprehe, Mason Reber, Logan Sprehe, Zara Gallo and Liza Gallo. Lucy was the dearest sister of Duane Murphy and the late Leslie “Les” Murphy and the fond aunt, great aunt, friend, and neighbor to many more. The Visitation will be held at Peterson-Bassi Chapels at 6938 W. North Avenue in Chicago on Friday, November 5 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will take place Saturday, November 6 at 10:00am at St. Giles Catholic Church at 1045 N. Columbian Avenue in Oak Park. Following the Mass of Christian Burial, Interment will take place at Fairview Memorial Cemetery at 900 N. Wolf Road in Northlake. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lucy’s memory can be made to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, (www.T2T.org) benefiting America’s veterans, servicemembers, first responders and their families that selflessly sacrifice for our great nation.