Born May 28, 1929 in Vancouver. A farmer, logging contractor, avid outdoorsman, and rugby enthusiast, Don lived life to the fullest. Beginning by harvesting trees with his tractor on the family farm in Duncan, he built a very successful logging business with camps and forest harvesting operations ranging from Nanaimo Lakes, Bute and Toba Inlets, to Houston River in Muchalat Sound.
Following in the footsteps of his father Douglas Hayes, the founder of Hayes-Andersen Trucks and Hayes Manufacturing, he was a proud member of the BC forest industry, TLA Member, and Director of the Truck Loggers Association.
Don retired in 1989, handing the reigns of his Company Hayes Logging Ltd. to his three sons, Harold, Donald and Jeffrey. The company that he founded, would become Hayes Forest Services Limited, and evolve into one of the largest and most successful harvesting and forest services contractors in BC and Canadian history, providing conventional and helicopter harvesting, forestry and engineering, and other forestry related services.
Preceded in death by his parents Douglas and Ella Hayes, brother George, half-brother Douglas Jr. and half-sister Lillian. He is survived by sister Eleanor Michas (Hayes), children Harold (Denise), Janet, Catherine Guadagnuolo (Domenico), Donald and Jeffrey, seven grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
There will be a Memorial Service to celebrate Don’s life at 2:00 pm January 21st, 2020 at Church of Our Lord, 626 Blanshard Street, Victoria, BC, with reception to follow. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Diabetes Canada.
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