Charles Hayes

Charles W. Hayes

December 23, 1934 - August 13, 2023



Charles Wayne Hayes, better known as Chuck, Charlie, Chaz, and the old Cee Dub, passed away on August 13, 2023, at the age of 88. Family, friends, and acquaintances will remember, cherish, and miss his dry sense of humor and his "Chuckisms," e.g., "Well, I'll be dipped in butter and rolled in manure."



Chuck was born on December 23, 1934, in Missoula, Montana, to John and Mabel (Burreson) Hayes. He was the middle child of three boys. Chuck graduated from Missoula County High School and then enlisted in the United Stated Air Force, where he trained at the Jet Aircraft and Engine School and served as a Crew Chief on the F-89D jet fighter. His interests in jets and in jet engines led him to pursue Mechanical Engineering at Montana State University and to be recruited by Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in East Hartford, Connecticut, as a Mechanical Engineer. In 1991, after almost 30 years of employment, Chuck retired. In retirement, he added growing orchids to his list of hobbies and interests that included elk and deer hunting, collecting knives and old coins, landscaping, and sports.



Soon after moving to Connecticut, Chuck met the love of his life, Marianne Novaco. They married in 1963, and Chuck was immediately embraced by Marianne's large Italian family. Chuck and Marianne had two daughters, Sandra (now of Doylestown, Pennsylvania) and Barbara (now of Boston, Massachusetts). In 1996, the two retired to Las Cruces, New Mexico, and built their forever home with a stunning view of the Organ Mountains. This year they celebrated 27 years in Las Cruces and 60 years of marriage.



Chuck is predeceased by his parents and his two brothers, Roger Gerald Hayes and Richard Marvin Hayes. He is survived by his wife Marianne, his two daughters, his grandson Adam Schoonman, his niece Deborah Hayes, and his nephew Charles Edward Hayes.



No funeral or memorial service is planned, but the family invites you to celebrate his life by planting a tree or a grove of trees in his memory (please visit the Heartfelt Sympathies Store).