Hayes, Robert D. "Bob"

Rev. Robert D. “Bob” Hayes passed from this life Wednesday morning, September 23, 2009 , in Houston , Texas .

Born in Houston , Texas , Rev. Hayes, known affectionately as Brother Bob, was a graduate of R. L. Paschal High School in Ft. Worth . He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army before graduating from Commonwealth College of Sciences in Houston in 1960. He worked as a licensed funeral director and embalmer for many years before receiving a calling to enter the ministry. In 1993, he became an ordained minister of the gospel and in 2000 he completed the 5 year ministerial course of study at Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, Texas, and received the Certificate of Attainment, which he put to good use while serving as senior pastor of several churches in Texas and Louisiana and was currently associated with Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Santa Fe, Texas, as assistant to the pastor. He enjoyed teaching sign language and served as public relations director of Hayes Grace Memorial Park Cemetery in Hitchcock. Bob had a sense of humor like no other, he never met a stranger and never did a day go by that he did not have a good joke or prank to share.

He was preceded in death by his parents, James A. and Mignon (Huguet) Hayes, Sr. and is survived by his daughter, Shelly Balch; stepson, Bill Swift; grandchildren, Samuel Balch, Matthew Balch; brothers, James A. Hayes, Jr. and wife, Lynne of Santa Fe, Richard M Hayes and Wife, Julie; sister, Celeste Craver and husband, Jon, all of Ft. Worth; numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Bob loved working in the Louisiana Annual Conference. He loved serving the Lord. I remember as a little girl and up through my high school years and even the last year taking care of him, in the mornings he could be found reading his Bible and drinking coffee. When he was in hospice, to the point where he could not really focus to read, he wanted his Bible near him. During all this time, his faith never wavered. He was the strongest man I have ever known. One of the things Dad told me to tell people is, “If they can only remember me with tears, then don't remember me at all.”