William Thomas Hayes, 74

Jun 10, 2021

On Sunday, May 23, 2021, William Thomas Hayes, loving husband of Grace Hayes, father of Elizabeth Hayes-Gordon, beloved Papa of Andrew, Adam and Ava Gordon, passed away at the age of 74.

Tom, as he liked to be called, was born on March 7, 1947, in Alexandria, VA to Millard and Ethel Hayes. Upon graduating from Edison High School in 1965, he entered the Air Force and served four years in Tampa Florida. He married Grace Elizabeth Reeder on October 4, 1969. He and Grace moved to Virginia where he worked for the federal government in different capacities including, The Capitol Building. He was involved in video teleconferencing — or, as his daughter said, he made FaceTime cool before FaceTime was cool — until his retirement in 2002. Tom was featured in Southern Living Magazine for his famous “chili with chocolate.” He also appeared on Calling all Cooks on the Food Network Channel, for that same recipe.  

Tom was always interested in figuring out how things worked, and could fix almost anything — earning him his nickname “MacGyver.” He enjoyed cooking, singing, playing the guitar, and crafting custom-stained glass pieces. He shared these talents with family and friends — his passion for cooking was enjoyed by Grace daily. And his songs captured on CD were a delight to all. Tom recorded numerous CDs. He was known for his quick wit, his infectious smile, his sense of humor, and his passion for helping others.

Tom was preceded in death by his father, Millard, and his mother, Ethel. He is survived by his wife Grace, his daughter Liz and her children (his grandchildren), his brother Bill and wife Donna, and Dot and Bill Spencer (his sister and brother-in-law), several cousins, nieces, nephews, and many friends and other family.  

A Celebration of Life will be held in late August 2021. Family and friends will be notified. In lieu of flowers please send all donations to Wareham EMS.

Wareham EMS Gift Account, P.O. Box 3492, Wareham MA 02571.

Arrangements are by Chapman Funerals & Cremations – Wareham, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham.