Patty Lee Hays

Patty Lee Hays - April 25, 1930 to November 11, 2025

Patty Lee Hays, 95, of Seymour, Indiana, passed away surrounded by the love of her family. Born on April 25, 1930, in Seymour, she was the only child of Clarence "Jack" Ackeret and Ida Mae Ackeret.

Patty grew up in a close-knit home rooted in strong values and a deep sense of kindness. She began her working life alongside her mother at the Colony Chef restaurant in Seymour, where she learned the importance of service, warmth, and community. Drawn to caring for others, she later pursued nursing, becoming an obstetric nurse who cared for countless mothers and babies with tenderness and skill.

On February 16, 1949, she married the love of her life, Otis Robert Hays. Together they built a loving, joyful marriage that lasted more than 70 years, until Otis's passing in 2020. Their partnership was a model of devotion, steadiness, and mutual respect.

Patty was the proud and dedicated mother of two sons who were the center of her world: Mark Blake Hays (born 1954), married to Belinda Plumer Hays, and Brett Matthew Hays (born 1966), married to Rebecca Bishop Hays. She cherished her grandchildren, Taylor Nicole Ulrey, married to Jalen Ulrey, and Madison Rae Hays, and found immense joy in her great-grandchildren, Maren Rae and Dayn Blake Ulrey.

A woman of deep and unwavering Christian faith, Patty was a longtime member of First United Methodist Church in Seymour. She lived her faith through quiet acts of compassion, thoughtfulness, and generosity, and she volunteered as an election poll worker for many years, believing strongly in civic duty and service.

Patty loved playing golf, spending time with family and friends, and sharing laughter and stories that made everyone around her feel welcome and valued. She was the most loving and caring person her family has ever known - someone who loved and was loved ferociously. She lived each day guided by principle and kindness, faithfully practicing the Golden Rule in all she did.

To her sons, Patty was everything: their constant, their protector, their greatest source of encouragement. She was a devoted mother and wife, and she would want to be remembered in exactly that way - as someone whose love shaped the lives around her.

She leaves behind a legacy of unwavering love, quiet strength, and a spirit that will continue to guide those who loved her most. She was her sons' North star, a guiding light whose presence made the world steadier and kinder. She will be missed immeasurably, and her family will honor her memory by striving to make her proud with each day still to come