By By Lisa Tindell – news editor
Brewton residents are mourning the death of native son, Jim Hayes.
Hayes, a former resident of Brewton who had been ill for some time, died in Birmingham Friday morning.
Brewton Mayor Ted Jennings said Hayes was a “tremendous” man who will be missed by all who knew him.
Yank Lovelace, who served as an acolyte at the Episcopal Church with Hayes as a teen, said he had a big heart and cared for everyone around him.
Through years of hard work and determination, Hayes accomplished many goals in his professional life.
A longtime public servant, Hayes was president of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, where he worked tirelessly to improve the lives of Alabama citizens. Prior to his work with the EDPA, he held several positions for the State of Alabama including senior advisor to Governor Don Siegelman, director of the Alabama Development Office, Revenue Commissioner and Land Commissioner. He also served as director of planning and acquisitions for the Louisiana Land and Exploration Company. Hayes also served as a director of First Commercial Bank in Birmingham and BancTrust Financial in Mobile.
An active civic leader, Hayes was a member and past president of the Supporters Board of The UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. He also supported the Lakeshore Foundation, the Crippled Children's Foundation, the Greater Birmingham Humane Society, and numerous other charitable organizations. He led the ongoing capital campaign for the University of Alabama and also served on UAB's most recent capital campaign. In 2007 he received the Outstanding Civic Leader Award on National Philanthropy Day.
The University of Alabama named Jim Hayes its Alumnus of the Year in 1994. In 2004 he received an honorary doctorate from the institution and was named a Distinguished Engineering Fellow. He is a recipient of the Dean's Medal from the University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences and was recently honored when the University's James P. Hayes Moral Forum was endowed in his name.
Hayes, a native of Brewton, was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. James Patrick Hayes. He graduated from T.R. Miller High School and received bachelors and masters degrees in industrial engineering from the University of Alabama where he was a member of the Tau Beta Pi honor fraternity and the Delta Kappa Epsilon social fraternity.
He is survived by his wife Ann Beauchamp Hayes. He is also survived by his sisters Margaret Hayes (James) Brunstad of Birmingham and Susan Hayes (King) Curry of Tuscaloosa; nieces, Harrison Beauchamp (James) Ashurst of Birmingham, Annie Beauchamp (Bentley) Wilder, of Jacksonville, Fla., Elizabeth Brooks Brunstad, of Nashville, Tenn., Margaret Wade Brunstad of Durham, N.C., and Jennifer Mershon Sneed of New Orleans, La.; and a nephew, Burton Hayes Curry of Tuscaloosa. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Mary Hayes (Stewart) Campbell of Franklin, Tenn.
A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, June 9, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Birmingham. A visitation will follow at the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Jim and Ann Hayes School of Education Endowment Fund, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487; The UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1620, University Blvd, Birmingham, Alabama, 35294; or The Greater Birmingham Humane Society, 300 Snow Drive, Birmingham, Alabama, 35209.
Services are under the direction of Ridout's Valley Chapel in Homewood.