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1956-1957
JON D. HAYES
HOUSTON
Jon David Hayes, known as Jon to all his friends, died at 4:45 pm, Friday,
October 26, 1979 at Methodist Hospital, Houston TX from cardiomyopathy, or enlarged heart. Although Jon was ill for only three months, his older brother and two of his best friends were able to visit him before his death. His wife was at his bedside at the time of his death.
Jon was born in Alton on December 11, 1940 to Helen (Doyle) and Edward Hayes who predeceased him. Jon’s paternal grandfather was the beloved physician known as “Doc” Hayes.
In high school, Jon was a member of the Civil Air Patrol and that interest continued into adulthood. After graduating from Alton High, Jon pursued his interest in photography, studying at Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara. He graduated in 1965.
Jon married his childhood friend, Judy Kerwin, who graduated from AHS in 1958. She studied nursing at St. Joseph Hospital, received her RN and worked in Alton until moving to Springfield IL with her family in 1964. Jon and Judy corresponded and renewed their friendship when he returned from Santa Barbara to work at Shell Oil, Wood River
Jon married Judy in Springfield in 1968, and the couple moved back to Alton, living in Jon’s family home on Grandview, enhancing Jon's father's final years with filial love.
Jon and Judy had two daughters, Jolene Denise, 1971, and Joy Lynette, 1973, both born in Alton.
Jon loved water skiing and enjoyed it immensely throughout his life. While in Alton, Jon was a member of the Optimist Club.
Jon worked as a research photographer in the research lab at Shell Oil in Wood River IL until the company moved the lab to HoustonTX in 1975. Jon was transferred to Houston where he was director of the new research photography lab.
Jon is survived by his wife, Judy (Kerwin) Hayes, HoustonTX and two daughters: Jolene Denise Ray (husband, Robert) LongviewTX, and Joy Lynette Snell (husband, Clete) Cyprus TX; four grandsons, B.J. (Robert Jon), Shaun and Cread Ray, LongviewTX; and Darrin Wiley, Cyprus TX; and two step-granddaughters, Kate and Emma Snell, Cyprus TX. He also is survived by his older brother, Don Hayes, (wife Donna), four nephews and one niece, Alton IL.
Jon David Hayes was buried in Upper Alton Cemetery, Alton IL.
[Photo above cropped from East Jr. High School boys home room class of 1956-1957 provided by David Nekola. mhl]
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Marilyn Hope Waide (Lake)
Harold Dams has confirmed that Joh Hayes, whom I remember as a great friend, the first boy I knew in high school to have his own car, and a member of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) lived into the 70's and died of a heart attack while working as an industrial photographer for an oil company in Texas.I appreciate Harold's clearing up my misconception that Jon had died earlier.
Harold Dams
I suppose one would say that Jon and I where casual friends. He lived a block from me on Grandview and on occasion I would grab a ride to or from school. One thing that my aging mind remembers is the time we made a cool exploding volcano using chemicals from a chemistry set he had in his parent's basement. The eruption set fire to the paper mache structure and left a real mess in his dad's driveway.As some may know, Jon had an interest in photography (his brother was a photographer for 'The Alton Telegraph'). Following his graduation from Alton High he attended a photography school in California. In either '62 or '63 he returned to Alton and took a job with Shell Oil in Wood River as an industrial photographer. I believe that it was in the early 70s when Shell Oil closed the Wood River laboratory. At that time Jon was offered a transfer to the Houston laboratory which he accepted and where he continued his career in industrial photography .
Sometime in in the late '60s or early '70s he married Judy (her last name escapes me) in Springfield, IL. She was a junior or senior in AHS when her father took a job in Springfield, IL resulting in Judy not graduating from AHS.
I visited Jon, Judy and their child there in Houston in mid 70s. Within a couple of years of my visit Jon died of a heart attack while at work. As far as I know, Judy and the daughter stayed in Houston since her parents had moved there.