Obituary of James R. Hayes

James (Jim) Robert Hayes Sr., 80, born on March 23, 1944 in Albuquerque New Mexico, passed away after a battle with cancer on April 28, 2024 at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Newburgh, NY. He was a resident of the Village of Unionville, NY for over 50 years. Jim was born to James Charles Hayes and Virginia Mae Schroeder. He was a 1963 graduate of Hackensack High School, where he played the clarinet in the marching band and was on the track and gymnastics teams. In 1964, Jim graduated from the Germain School of Photography located in Manhattan, where he proudly rode his Vespa 150 to class every day. Jim was married to his high school sweetheart, Donna Lee Shill in 1965 in Hackensack, NJ. Together they had four children. They later divorced and remained friends. Jim then married Barbara Linda Friedman Heffernan in 1979. She shared Jim's love of motorcycles and the openroad. Together, they enjoyed traveling and yearly trips to the Americade Motorcycle Rally in Lake George, NY and every "Poker Run" they could find. Jim was fortunate enough to have a career he enjoyed, retired after 32 years of service with New Jersey Bell. He was hired as a switch man and raised through the ranks to that of Network Operations Technician. After retirement, Jim enjoyed working at Mid-City Transit in Middletown, NY where he enjoyed driving kids to school and taking them to special field trips, along the way he would often tell stories and warn the kids about the dangers of smoking. Jim was a 50-year member of AMA Town & Country Motorcycle Club serving as its Secretary and Road Captain. Jim's favorite motorcycle in the 1980's-90's was his Goldwing and in the 2000's he loved his Harley! At the time of his death, Jim was a member of the Wurtsboro Harley Owners group in New York and the Atlanta, Georgia Harley Owners Group. Jim volunteered at both clubs often greeting people with a smile and roasting hot dogs and hamburgers. If a job needed to be done, Jim was there to do it. Jim attended the United Methodist Church in Greenville, NY and was a volunteer on The Lenape Ambulance Corps in Unionville, N.Y. He split his time between NY and Georgia, staying with his daughter, Terri Hayes in Georgia. Jim enjoyed chasing history by traveling to the lands of his ancestors to discover more about his heritage. He was proud of his ancestry, which includes Revolutionary War Patriots, Pioneer Land Surveyors, a minor league baseball player, theologians, WWI & WWII Veterans and others who helped establish this great Country. Jim was preceded in death by his wife Barbara and both parents. His funeral and burial was well attended as he was laid to rest next to them at Glenn Dyberry Cemetery in Honesdale, PA. Many stories were shared on how Jim and Barbara often gave a helping hand to those in need and made friends everywhere they went. He is survived by his children, Sherri Barnes (Bruce), Terri Hayes, Bobbi Jeanne Goldstein, James Robert Hayes Jr. (Jill) and Matthew Heffernan (Laura), his sister Jo Ann Youhas (Edward), Nephews, Dan Bond & Andrew Youhas, 15 Grandkids and 19 Great-Grandkids. Jim was a kind man, with a big heart, a welcoming smile, was deeply loved by all who knew him, and will be greatly missed. Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.