Donald Hayes Obituary

Father Hayes was a good Jesuit priest. He was kind and generous and loyal and helpful to us when we were students at Loyola University Chicago as part of the Loyola Men at Gonzaga Hall on Kenmore. He was helpful to us and later I went to some of his retreats at Bellarmine Retreat House and he was good. May he rest in peace with the Lord forever!

Dear Father Don,
Thank you for being a true father for many of us who sought your spiritual direction in our life and in confession.

Father Hayes we will miss you, but yet you will always be with us. Fr. Hayes let me stay at Gonzaga Hall while I worked my way through Loyola. He didn't demand money right away but like a good business man when I showed him my first paycheck from a trucking dock - $165 - which I thought was a fortune - with one fluid move he said "that's great!", reached in the drawer, stampted the check for Loyola and filed it. Fr Hayes is with the rank of great Chicago Jesuits: Fr Filas, Fr. Ronan, and Fr. Krolikowski- all in heaven praying for us. Thanks for everything. Dr. Denis P. Curran, Loyola, '71, '76, '89.

Fr. Don Hayes was the president of Saint Ignatius College Prep during my high school days, and returned to Loyola University in 1971, during my freshman year there. He was a great mentor of mine during those years, and in October of 1972 officiated over my wedding to my wife Denise, 35 years ago. During our anniversary celebration a few weeks ago, we went back into the box of wedding mementos, and found the photos of us with Fr. Don, and the Papal Blessing that he surprised us with at our wedding. What a great guy!

Fr. Hayes was so wonderful. I knew him as a seminarian at Franciscan, and he pastored me well. What I consider to be my conversion, if I can look to only one time, came during a week-long Ignatian retreat. He had extended the offer last minute to me, and his gentle influence was an important part of it.

I am so sorry to hear of Fr. Hayes passing. He counseled me through my 2 years at Gonzaga Hall from 1981-83.He always had a kind word of encouragement just when you needed it. You could tell he really enjoyed being around students, he did like to laugh too!

My wife (at the time my fiancee) and I were having trouble getting a church that would accomodate the "odd hours" my in-laws (to be)worked in their retail store. Fr. Hayes called his friend, Fr. Jack Christian at St. Ignatius Church, and Fr. Jack graciously set up the side chapel for our use on a Saturday evening. We got married and will have our fortieth anniversary this June. Fr. Don Hayes will always be in our thoughts and prayers for all the good things he did for my wife Mary and myself. He "ran the good race" and is now enjoying the company of the Lord. Fr. Don: Requiescat in pace!

I met Fr. Hayes while attending the women's retreats at Bellarmine conducted by the late Fr. John Hardon. Fr. Hayes was always so welcoming and I looked forward to seeing him there each year. The visit with him which most stands out in my mind was when I called him in 1998 to ask if I could come a day early to the retreat house-of course he said yes with no questions asked. He made a point of greeting me when I arrived and quickly discovered that I was deeply grieving for my 23 year old son who had died in a car accident only a few months before. I will never forget the kindness and compassion Fr. Hayes extended to me during that visit. His words of comfort and understanding helped me to get through the retreat and he even arranged for me to meet privately with Fr. Hardon before the retreat began. I was so sorry to hear of his passing. May God rest his soul. He was a good, compasssionate and faithful priest.

Fr. Don was my spiritual director for a year and a half until he moved to Columbiere. I thank God for him, for the gift of his guidance, support and care.

At Steubenville during my time there as a member of the Pre-Theologate Program, Fr. Hayes always went out of his way for me and all the guys present. He was a true father giving sensible advise with a joyful spirit. I will best remember his Car Confessional where many times he heard my confessions after our Thursday night meetings. Also he will be remembered for his sense of humor and how he made everyone feel welcome. I am really thankful for him and I know God will reward him for being the great priest he was.

I met Father Hayes in September, 1961 when he gave our freshman class retreat at the Madonna della Strada Chapel at Loyola University Chicago. I later joined Loyola Men and helped him pick up sofas and things needed for Gonzaga Hall which at that time was at the corner of Glenlake and Sheridan Road. I went to confession to him many times in college and he was always kind and thoughtful. We remained friends over the years and I recall little things like how in 1975 he attended my wife Carol's mother's wake at Birren's on Clark Street. Carol and I didn't even know how he knew about the death, but there he was and he spent a lot of time with Carol, her father, and family. One doesn't forget such kindnesses. My father George was helpful in getting the second building for Gonzaga Hall on Kenmore Ave. My Dad knew the owner and he didn't like Loyola University, so my father bought it in his name and then Loyola paid for it. Father Hayes always appreciated that. Father was a very fine Jesuit priest and happily I had some good chats with him while on retreat in recent years at the Bellarmine Retreat House in Barrington. I am sure that God will richly reward him for his good work!

I started working at Gonzaga Hall in 1972. I can not say enough about Fr. Hayes, he was above and beyond any Fr. I ever worked for. I will miss him.

"THE CHIEF" will be remembered in ourthoughts and prayers

I met Father Hayes during my year at Loyola University's Rome Center 1970-1971. He presided over my marriage to a fellow Loyola of Rome student in June of 1973. We were blessed with 3 great children.

FATHER HAYES WAS TRULY "SUI GENERIS" OR, TO USE A MORE FAMILIAR EXPRESSION,"ONE OF A KIND." THE WARMTH OF HIS PERSONALITY AND THE SWEET AROMA OF HIS SOUL MADE IT AN EXQUISITE PLEASURE JUST TO BE IN HIS PRESENCE. IF FATHER HAYES WAS NOT A SAINT, THEN THE WORD HAS NO MEANING. AS GOD IS NOW INTRODUCING HIM TO THE HEAVENLY HOSTS, HE IS SAYING:" THIS TOO IS MY BELOVED SON."

Fr. Hayes welcomed me as an Loyola University undergraduate resident at Gonzaga Hall in the fall of 1979. I thoroughly admired his gentle nature, his deeply Christian spirit, and his profound talent for scholarly pursuits in theology and philosophy. I believe his Ph.D. thesis dealt with St. Augustine, and I recall pulling it off its shelf in his office from time-to-time to peruse its pages. Fr. Hayes instilled in me a desire to learn and a desire to write well that continues to benefit me to this day. He presided over my wedding in July of 1981 and his wedding gift was a very special Latin prayer (recited during the mass) and a Papal blessing (signed by the late Pope John Paul II) that we cherish to this day. Fr. Hayes provided much comfort in challenging times and I have missed talking with him over the years. I will especially miss the private masses that Fr. Hayes offered, and his thoughtful sermons: one in particular dealt with St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order.

My entire staff and I are very saddened at hearing of Father Hayes' passing. We all enjoyed his warmth and good spirits. He was an intelligent and engaging man of God who exhibited an equanimity and serenity that enhanced his effectiveness as a priest and a teacher.



Fr Hayes once told me of a rather young doctor with terminal heart disease and a young family who had been able to achieve a "peace" with himself, his medical status and God. John Madden's description of Fr. Hayes' achieving a similar peace at Colombiere is certainly comforting and an example for us all.



We will miss you deeply, Fr. Don.

Bryan C. Schultz, M.D. (Oak Park)

I'll always remember Fr. Hayes fondly from our days at Loyola Rome in 1971. He once went to Paris with a small group of us. One day, in a city full of churches, he offered us a private mass in our room in a small hotel overlooking the Pantheon. Like him, it was special. I'll always be grateful for the chance to have known him.

Although I have not seen him in over 10 years, I remember Fr. Hayes well. He welcomed me to the Loyola faculty in the early 1960's. He presided at the funeral masses for my husband and father, and at my nephew's wedding. His gentle good humor and thoughtfulness meant much to me. My prayers and sympathy to his family.



Alice B. Hayes

In the early days of Gonzaga Hall we called him "Chief", which he surely was to all of us. Father helped us over many a bump and made a difference in our lives. He and his family will be in our prayers.

My brothers and I started attending the Bellarmine retreat after our Father died. We were fortunate to have Fr. Hayes as our retreat master on a anumber of occasions. I will miss his sincere style and gentle grace.

When I started going to Bellarmine back in the late 90's my first retreat master was Father Hayes, what a wonderful, compassionate man, who made you feel like family, he counseled me on many things, most importantly the art of "listening", my last time with him, he sat and talked of how fortunate we have it, and how important the need of having that spiritual faith and trusting in our Lord. At this time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us remember that Father Hayes has been born eternally with our Lord,Look upon us down here Don and guide our remaining walk through your spirit which will remain indwelled in us forever! May you sleep in heavenly peace. Merry Christmas. Mark Madden

A good man. A good priest. A life well led.

My parents, Edward W. and Mary K. Silvers used to talk about 'little Donnie Hayes' during my whole childhood. They always had good things to say about him. This Christmas Eve will be the second anniversary of my mother's death and February will mark my father's first anniversary. It is a close to a chapter of an era. May they all rest in God's peace and joy.

Fr Hayes had gentle wisdom. I met him in my freshman yr at Loyola. He was the uncle of Nancy,a classmate at St Scholastica Academy. He gave me an individually directed retreat a few yrs ago. I will miss him.

Father Hayes was very helpful and supportive toward me during my years at Gonzaga Hall (Loyola University). He was very dedicated to those around him and was a very good person. It was great to see him working at Bellarmine recent years.

Father Hayes was a kind and practical

man. I will miss Father and will keep him in my prayers.

GOD BLESS FATHER DONALD

Having worked with Fr. Hayes at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House over the past three years, I have found him to be friendly, inspiring ,kind and extremely generous with his time for retreatants. I will miss him deeply.

Fr. Don Hayes was a wonderful example of grace, humility and dignity in the service of our Lord.

He counseled me and hundreds of other men during his tenure as Director at Bellarmine Hall beginning in 1986. He continued to be a "teacher" through his simple, plain spoken and witty way with words. His soft spoken way made him approachable and easy to talk to about anything. Above all, he was a kind and compassionate friend to me and many others.

Don will be greatly missed. During his illness, the men in our retreat group spoke lovingly and affectionately about the man we called "the Bishop of Bellarmine".

I will never forget the twinkle in his eyes and the ready Irish smile he presented to all who entered the Hall.

May God bless you and keep you in the palm of his hand. And I know you dance with the angels; for you have served our Lord well.

Father Hayes was a source of joy, comfort and wisdom to my whole family.



He is loved.



He will be missed.

Our deepest and most heartfelt sympathies go out to The Hayes', as well as, the extended families. Father Don will surely be missed.

MAY THE PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON HIM...



And may The Lord shine his Blessings upon all of you, throughout this very special time of year.

GOD BLESS



THE FAMILY OF DON AND MARY CARRELL

To the Hayes Family:

Father Hayes will always be one remembered as one of central spiritual examples in my life. He married my wife Margy and I in 1979 and baptized our first born, Elizabeth in 1985. He counseled and mentored me for my four college year at Gonzaga Hall and Loyola (1974-78)and more recently at Bellarmine retreats. He was a wonderful priest and man. He set the example of how to live as a true follower of Christ for me in the best Jesuit tradition.

You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Randy Roberts

The Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus remembers Donald Hayes with affection for his 62 years of service and is grateful to the many friends and benefactors who helped make that service possible.

Tim Freeman (Chicago, IL )

We will miss our beloved cousin and thank him for all his good deeds to our families. Ed Coyne & Martha.

I knew Father Hayes from when I was

a very young girl and he was a dear

friend of my parents, Bill & Sue

Kearney. Fr. Hayes baptized my

mother, buried both of my parents,

married me, and baptized all four

of my children.

I know that he is at peace with God

and for that I am grateful. I am

only sorry that I did not have a

chance to say "Goodbye".

God rest his dear soul.

Kathie Murray