James Kevin Hayes

James Kevin Hayes (Jim, Jimmy Kevin, Hazer, Zeus, Jim Jam, Coach Jim, Dad), born May 3, 1955, passed away on January 14, 2022 surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his wife of 39 years Mary Boas Hayes as well as his children Lauren and Christen Boas Hayes.

He was born to James Joseph Hayes and Mary Roberts Hayes and raised in Drexel Hill with his siblings Mary Velma and Paul Matthew Hayes. He is survived by his siblings, sister-in-law Randi Hayes, niece and nephew Caroline and John, their partners, many cousins, and the large and loving Boas family. He is predeceased by his parents, as well as his mother- and father-in-law. He was fortunate to share his home for 6 years with his mother-in-law Mary Clearkin Boas where they shared many laughs and meals together.

He grew up with his family on Cornell Avenue in Drexel Hill, the setting for many adventures and family stories. He and Paul once brought a baby alligator home and told their mother that they found it, later when she brought it to the pet store to learn how to care for it she learned that Jim had in fact purchased the alligator from that very shop. His love of dogs began at a young age and when the family dog Peanuts was sick he sat Peanuts in front of the tv to watch Lassie in hopes that it would give Peanuts company and make him feel better. He followed in his father’s footsteps with his love of running track and field and playing baseball and basketball and Paul remembers many harrowing rides to CYO games in the VW Beetle that Jim and his friends had cobbled together from spare parts. 

Jim was a graduate of St. Bernadette’s, Monsignor Bonner ‘73, and Villanova University where he met his lifelong friends Kevin Lake, Bob Dempsey, Jack Kennedy, Jim Smith, Bob Cordaro, Rich Hagerty, Jake Conaboy, Jim Brophy, Joe O’Neill, Tom Grogan, Maury Smith, Ed Stefanski, and Joe Pierami.

After spending a few years after high school traveling the country, Mary Boas returned to Havertown and started working at the Lamplighter where she and Jim met. Jim needed a date to his friend Ed Stefanski’s wedding and invited Mary on the condition that he attend the Boz Scaggs concert with her. Mary and Jim were married in 1983 and celebrated at a relative’s home, the Cusumano’s, in Devon.

Jim and Mary took many trips with friends to the Poconos where, on one trip, he and his friend infamously misheard an officer tell them the tunnel was closed due to “tunnel mice” something they suggested to the officer they could just run over and only later realized after the officer was warning them about “tunnel ice” which they had proceeded to careen over in the old VW. Jim played basketball with his friends for years and some of his childrens’ earliest memories involve running around the basketball court and getting candy out of the dispenser at Timothy’s. 

Jim and his father spent many days betting horses together and watching the Penn Relays. They took a memorable trip to the Atlanta Olympics together. Jim, Paul, and their father worked together at the family business, Kitchen Concepts, which Paul still runs. Jim and Paul have built many of the kitchens and baths around Delaware County and count their employees and customers as friends. 

In 1999, Jim received a serious diagnosis of a rare disease called Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis. The doctor, Joey Price, who initially diagnosed him, and primary care doctor Maria Demario, not only saved his life but became close friends over his many years of treatment. Jim has an extensive and extraordinary medical team who have provided him care that extended his life and enabled him to experience countless life and family events. Drs. Mark Schutta, Matthew Rusk, and Steven Solga, as well as N.P. Stephanie Veasey and many other doctors at HUP and Penn Radnor, played a critical role in his care.

After retiring due to his illness, Jim committed his time to his true passion: coaching softball and mentoring the young women who played on his teams. He coached with Donna Glass and Liz Cushing at the Orange Crush for many years as well as Tommy Grogan locally, and served as a hitting coach at his child Christen’s alma mater Swarthmore College. He developed such fondness and respect for the young women he coached and he took a personal role in ensuring they would go to college and succeed in life.

Jim considered being Lauren and Christen’s father the greatest adventure, joy, and responsibility of his life. He also loved history and English literature. He was always reading or listening to some work of fiction, often a mystery, science fiction, or fantasy book. He instilled in his children a love of these genres from a young age, and always read to them. His legacy project, completed this year, was a recording of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for his children and future generations. (which you can listen to here- https://open.spotify.com/show/2jtxwTqTq4xW9m587LZYCG?si=3f7d627619b649b1&fbclid=IwAR1IpriepxJsbh8DihkUrG1uTXAZFlegL9Xt2LvJI07zA9WDMrTLhCOWhGM) 

Jim was passionate about politics and was proud to have voted for a woman president. While he did not live to see the election of the first woman president, he was proud of his children for pursuing careers in public service. Many of their friends have shared that some of their earliest memories of meeting Jim involved him asking them their opinions on political matters of the day…when they were 10 or 11 years old.

At his request, Jim will be laid to rest alongside the ashes of his beloved dogs, Noodles and Bailey, as well as mementos from the softball teams he coached and notes from his family.

Jim made use of many aphorisms and was known for sharing that “no one gets to see the end of the movie” and that living, even with life’s challenges, was “better than the alternative.” His family trusts that he has moved on to his forever happy place.

We welcome all vaccinated and masked family and friends to the Viewing at St. Dorothy Church in Drexel Hill on Sunday, January 23 from 4:30-6:30pm and Monday, January 24 from 9:00 – 10:15am which will be followed by Mass at 10:30am (DHCC sign language interpreter present and the Mass will be livestreamed on St. Dorothys YouTube Channel. - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCio1cNnl4DJtpIMqmnyvmbw), internment at Sts Peter & Paul, and a social gathering at an indoor/outdoor space chosen for COVID safety considerations. 

In lieu of flowers we are requesting donations which will be contributed to establish a scholarship in Jim's honor for high school softball players in the area. To donate please click on this link https://delcofoundation.org/give-advise/donate-now/ donate to the Foundation for Delaware County, on that page under the "General Support" section select "Donate to this Fund", and then in the "How did you learn about the foundation?" box please write "James Hayes Memorial." All donations are tax deductible and will go directly to the scholarship which will be established in Jim's honor. 

FAMILY HAS REQUESTED ATTENDEES TO BE FULLY VACCINATED, WEAR MASK, AND PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING!

THANK YOU!

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