Frank Hayes

Frank Thomas Hayes passed away quietly and comfortably at his home in Washington Utah at the age of 82 on January 12, 2021.

He was born on New Years Day 1939, in Cortland NY to parents Vera and Francis Hayes.

A fiercely independent yet responsible spirit he enjoyed an active childhood with his younger brother John.  A dedicated student as a boy, he graduated Cortland High School, then undergrad from Brown University in 1960 with a technical degree.   After beginning his engineering career in the Boston area he met and married the love of his life, teacher Barbara Burdick in 1964.

After starting a family they relocated to Northern Vermont where they had two more children and developed an active life together.  A decade later they made a big move across the country to Southern California where they remained until moving to Southern Utah to enjoy retirement surrounded by spectacular weather and landscapes.

Frank enjoyed a successful career in the Aerospace industry.  First as a design and engineering manager later as a technical director for some innovative companies, he was well-respected as a thorough and creative manager.  One key element of his success was building strong employee teams by always hiring on ability first – he created diverse and extremely talented engineering groups long before it was the norm in the US.

A frugal person by nature, he most often preferred to spend his time and money pursuing family activities instead of buying things.  He always took the time to share his lifelong passions for math, science, logic, literature and music with anyone within earshot. He was also well-known as an active husband, father and friend.   He trained as an EMT with Barb and helped launch a volunteer Rescue Squad in Bristol.  An accomplished amateur coach and athlete, he nurtured a lifelong passion for Sports and Outdoor activities.  He enjoyed participating in many individual sports over the years – skiing, skating, hiking, swimming, waterskiing, table scuba diving, motorcycle riding, table tennis and racquetball.  Later in life, he competed successfully in the Sr. Olympics.  He found focus and peace of mind by playing music and practicing Kung Fu and Tai Chi.  He entertained his wife, children and grandchildren with written stories and ultimately with a memoir.  He loved the home that he and Barb created for retirement in the shadow of Pine Mountain Utah – they enjoyed many outside meals on the back patio, hikes in and around Zion and frequent swims in their pool.

He is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, his two sons and daughter, multiple grandchildren, his brother and family, and his cousins.

Due to the current pandemic situation, memorial services will be postponed until more favorable traveling times for family and friends.

Donations in Frank’s honor to St. Mary’s School in Cortland, NY would be greatly appreciated by his family.