Wesley Stuart Hayes

Stuart “Stu” Hayes was born in Oroville CA to Wesley Reed Hayes and Letha Stevenson Hayes. He and his younger sister, Mona, were raised in Oroville and he attended Yuba Community College before serving in the U.S. Army as a Machine Accounting Specialist from 1953 to 1955. Upon his return, he married Lily Macedo Hayes in 1956 and resumed working for Burton’s Shoe Store in Lodi, CA. In 1958, they moved to Woodland where he managed Burton’s Shoe Store until it was severely damaged by fire in 1975. He rebuilt his own shoe store called Stuart’s Shoes and ran that for a few years before moving to Davis.

Stu met and fell in love with Glenna Hayes, and they were married on September 22, 1979, in Davis, California. By the time they married, Stu had already raised his two children, Letha and Eric, who were 19 and 18 and beginning their own journeys into young adulthood. Glenna’s two daughters were just nine and four. Stu made the choice to open his heart to these two young girls and take on the role of raising them alongside Glenna.  He loved his daughters completely and treated them as his own. Together, Stu and Glenna worked to create a family and a home where all four of their children would know they were loved and supported.

Stu and Glenna raised their daughters in Davis and became deeply involved in the community through the many activities their girls participated in. They were also active with Glenna’s sorority, Beta Sigma Phi. Stu volunteered his time and served on the Board of the Sheltered Workshop in Woodland, reflecting his belief in giving back and being involved in the community around him.

A lifelong fisherman and hunter, Stu shared his love of the outdoors with his family. He taught the girls to fish, camp, and appreciate the simple pleasures of being outside. One of the family’s favorite places was Collins Lake, where they made countless memories together. Stu enjoyed fishing, frogging, and hunting pheasant and quail. One of his proudest moments was catching a 66” sturgeon in the Sacramento River. Another favorite memory was his annual camping trips with the same buddies.

Stu was a hands-on father who showed his love by being present. He coached the girls’ softball teams and encouraged and supported them in everything they pursued—soccer, basketball, softball, dance, piano and guitar lessons, choir, and countless other activities. He was a traditionalist raising two Gen X daughters, and he believed strongly in education, good manners, treating others with respect, and doing what you were supposed to do. Chores came before playtime, and when you started something, you finished it. Stu believed in doing the best job possible and instilled that strong work ethic in his children.

Music was another special part of Stu and Glenna’s life together. Stu loved to play guitar and sing while Glenna played piano and sang. They loved to dance together, too, and could truly “cut a rug” at any gathering. They enjoyed attending music events and made it a tradition to take the girls to the Music Circus every year, as well as concerts at the Sacramento Convention Center.

Travel and camping were also important to Stu and Glenna. Together they traveled to Hawaii several times, took a cruise to Alaska, visited family and friends in Michigan and Virginia many times, and spent hundreds of trips camping in their trailer. Their beloved dog, Jigger, was often right alongside them. These adventures became some of the family’s most treasured memories.

Stu had an extraordinary work ethic. After owning his own shoe store in Woodland, he continued his career in sales, eventually working for Century Lighting, where he remained until retiring in his late 70s. Retirement did not come easily to Stu, however. He later worked at Hollywood Hardware in Elk Grove because he enjoyed having a purpose, staying busy, and having something to do. His approach to work was the same approach he brought to life: finish what you start, see it through to the end, and always do the best job you can.

In 1994, Stu and Glenna moved to Elk Grove, where they purchased a brand-new home in a new community. They loved their home and their life together there. After years of raising children, managing a busy household, and being involved in their community, they enjoyed the special chapter of life when it was simply the two of them.

Stu and Glenna were a team and often the life of any party. They made friends wherever they went and were always ready to participate in the activities and organizations that mattered to them. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Glenna operated a preschool and daycare out of their home, and Stu was right there beside her. Together they drove daycare children to games, events, and field trips and seemed to always be on the go.

Stu treasured his lifelong friendships, including his Army buddies who called themselves the “Jolly Boys.” He outlived many of those dear friends and missed them deeply. His friendships were important to him, and the stories and memories he shared about them remained a meaningful part of his life.

And then there were Stu’s jokes. He was a master storyteller. He could have you sitting on the edge of your seat, waiting for the punchline, and his family still recites many of his jokes to this day. His sense of humor was one of the many things Glenna loved about him, and his ability to make people laugh was one of the gifts he left with those who knew him.

Stu loved being a father, but he especially loved being a grandfather. When his daughter Amy and her husband Brian welcomed Audrey and Bradey, Stu delighted in having more little ones to love. He loved children and loved playing with them, teasing them, and making them laugh. He also embraced the children who became part of the family through his daughter Michelle and her marriage to Carrie, including Josh and Amanda, who were teenagers Michelle helped raise.

Glenna preceded Stu in death on April 20, 2016. After nearly 37 years of marriage, Stu spent the next decade carrying the memories of the life they had built together. Eventually, after selling their beloved home in Elk Grove, he returned to Woodland—the place where he had once owned his shoe store and where he had raised his children, Letha and Eric. He remained quite independent well into his early 90s and only recently moved into assisted living in September of 2025. 

In a fitting final chapter to their love story, Stu passed away on September 22, 2026—47 years to the day after he and Glenna were married. It was the same date on which their life together began, and in the end, it became the date that brought their story full circle.

Stu taught his family that strength and love come in many forms. Most importantly, he showed that family is not defined only by blood, but by the choice to love, support, encourage, and be there for one another.  His legacy lives on in the values he taught, the stories that continue to be told, the laughter he created, and the countless memories made with the family he loved so dearly.

Stu is survived by his sister, Mona Morford of Donald, Oregon, his daughter Letha (Tai Sines), and son Eric (Penny Hayes), stepdaughters Michelle (Carrie Small), and Amy (Brian Davis); grandchildren Mark (Kelly Puget), Haley (Noe Navarro), Cameron Hayes, Amanda and Josh Hall, Audrey and Bradey Davis; and ten great-grandchildren, plus numerous nieces and nephews.

The family will hold a private service in lieu of a public funeral.