Paul Langston Hayes

Early Life and Family

Paul Langston Hayes was born on February 10, 1947, in Brinkley, Arkansas, to Wesley E. Hayes, Sr. and Addie Murph Hayes. He was the fourth of five children in the Hayes family, and he embraced the roles of son, brother, nephew, uncle, husband, and friend throughout his life.

Growing Up in Little Rock

Later in 1947, the Hayes family relocated to Little Rock, where Reverend Hayes began serving at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church. Paul grew up in this close-knit and caring community, surrounded by love and respect. It was here that he developed important values such as self-discipline, honesty, empathy, and responsibility, shaped by his nurturing environment. Paul’s athleticism (he loved all things sports) and his “joie de vivre” (joy of life) meant that he never met a stranger. His outgoing personality helped him build lifelong friendships.

Paul was a graduate of Horace Mann High School Class of 1965. He attended Strayer University. Several Horace Mann classmates were devoted to Paul during his illness and confinement and lovingly provided support.

Over the Years

Over the next several decades, Paul satisfied his wanderlust, then settled in Brooklyn, New York, where he married Linda Cox, whose daughter Lena became his only child. He later married Mary E. Franklin.

Paul was a respected bus operator for more than 27 years at the New York Transit Authority. After retiring from the Transit Authority, he returned to the Little Rock/North Little Rock area, where he lived until his passing on January 20, 2026.

During his life, Paul wore many “hats,” including videographer, world traveler, antique lover, inventor, and real estate investor. He relished each role.

Family and Loved Ones

Paul is survived by his loving companion, Teresa Hill, and his wife, Mary E. Franklin Hayes, from whom he was living separately. He leaves behind two sisters, Grace Hayes Blagdon and Bernetta Hayes Powell; his daughter, Lena Hayes; and his granddaughter, Nadira Hayes-Ertz. His family also includes nephews Rodney Hayes and Anwar Benjamin, nieces Zalika Benjamin, Onisha Blagdon Rogers (Thomas), and Aminah Benjamin Nwachukwu (Phillip), along with many loving Hayes and Murph cousins, neighbors, friends, and former colleagues.

In Loving Memory

Paul was preceded in death by his parents; his grandparents, Reverend Wesley S. and Cordelia Montgomery Hayes; his brother, Wesley E. Hayes, Jr.; and his sister, Tritobia Hayes Benjamin.