Obituary for William Gaylor Hayes: June 5, 1938 – February 7, 2025

After a full and adventurous life on earth, William Gaylor Hayes “Wild Bill” entered into the great adventure of eternity on February 7, 2025. He was 86. Bill was born on June 5, 1938 in St. Marys, Pennsylvania to Clarence Rakestraw Hayes and Josephine Gaylor Hayes. From an early age, Bill was an avid outdoorsman and athlete. A lifelong Boy Scout, he rose to the Order of the Silver Beaver and was an expert at lighting fires, building lean-tos in the rain, and knowing which plants were edible. He lettered in four sports at St. Marys High School: baseball, basketball, football, and wrestling–and was captain of the first wrestling team at the school. Bill was class president his senior year, and at graduation received the Babe Ruth Award given to the most outstanding male student in athletics. He wrestled through college and into his army career, achieving entry into the Bucknell University Hall of Fame as well as the honor of coaching the U.S. Armed Forces Wrestling Team as a First Lieutenant.

After graduating from the Pennsylvania School of Optometry, Bill joined his father’s practice in St. Marys, and in the summer of 1966 married Margaret “Peggy” Shobert Hayes. After a honeymoon trip in the Algonquin Park canoeing on the Ontario Lakes and a few years together in an apartment above the optometric office, they purchased Fairview Farm in Kersey, Pennsylvania. There they built a family and a life of generosity and hospitality. The two were married for 58 years and at the end Peggy never left his side and lovingly cared for him. Peg described Bill as the family strong man and protector. They raised three daughters, Carrie Hayes Schuliger, Wendy Lee Gladstone and Maurie Hayes Thompson on that farm and over time welcomed three sons-in-law, thirteen grandchildren, three grandsons-in-law, one granddaughter-in-law, and one great grandson to their family.

If you met Bill, he was unforgettable. He was a gripping storyteller who loved engaging with people with the adventure stories from his life. If you were Bill’s friend, you could expect to receive a strong right-handed arm drag. You would also know that he loved fly-fishing and that he could pull a fish out of almost any body of water. Endlessly inspired by God’s good creation, his fishing took him all over the world to some famous streams, but his two favorite streams were close to home: Penns Creek (especially when the Green Drake was on the rise) and the Clarion River. Bill’s fishing buddies nicknamed him “The Legend,” and his grandchildren have boatloads of memories of drowning worms and learning the art of fly fishing. Even after a cancer diagnosis that weakened him, Bill kept fishing–pulling a sizable Coho salmon out of the wild Squamish River at age 85.

Bill’s uncanny ability to navigate the natural world inspired him to begin a guiding business called “Outdoor Experiences” to share his love of hunting and fishing with others. His “Carpe Diem” and “No Risk, No Reward” philosophies broadened his interests to include building his own log cabin, horse riding, ferrier work, boating, watercolor painting, and slalom waterskiing. With the same attention and ability, he could fix old tractors, fit eyeglasses, tie dry flies, and shoe troublesome horses.

As a man of faith, Bill was a committed Christian and member of Shiloh Evangelical Presbyterian Church where he served as an Elder, a Deacon, a Trustee and a Sunday School teacher. He was also an active member of Men’s Thursday night Bible Study. His faith inspired his service to the community over his lifetime as he started a Special Olympic Therapeutic Riding Program and volunteered with the Scouts and the 4-H Club. Bill really was one of a kind.

In addition to his wife and three daughters, Bill is survived by his sons-in-law; Jeff Schuliger of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Trent Gladstone of Marriottsville, Maryland, and Christian Thompson of Flagstaff, Arizona. He also leaves behind thirteen grandchildren who affectionately called him, “Grampsies”: Abby (and her husband, Winsor), Anna (and her husband, Liam), Jeremy, Madeline (and her husband, Zach), Brett, Rachel, Tyler, Alex, Chase, Nathan (and his wife, Carah), Ellie, Leah, Peter, and a great grandson, Woody, and one more on the way. He was predeceased by his older brother, Dr. John R. Hayes, who passed away in late 2024 at the age of 90 in Phoenix, AZ.

At family gatherings around the holidays or camping in the woods, Bill would announce his bedtime with, “You can’t soar with the eagles if you hoot with the owls!” And in the morning, greet everyone with “This is the day the Lord has made!” After the appropriate response of “Let us rejoice and be glad in it,” he would invariably add…“Another day in paradise!” Bill, now that you have inherited Paradise, enjoy endless days there; you have all the time in the world now to soar with the eagles and do what you love in God’s loving presence and new creation.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Shiloh Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 217 Washington Street, St. Marys, PA 15857, the St. Marys Christian Food Bank, 817 S. Michael Road, St. Marys, PA 15857, or the charity of your choice.

A memorial service and celebration of Bill’s life will be held on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at Shiloh Evangelical Presbyterian Church in St. Marys at 11:00 AM.  Full military honors will be accorded by the St. Marys Servicemen’s Burial Detail.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Lynch-Radkowski Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc.  Online condolences may be offered at www.lynch-radkowski.com