Vernon Lee Roy Hayes

Vernon Lee Roy Hayes, 92 of Massillon, passed away on Saturday, December 19, 2015. He was born on February 19, 1923 in Mannington, WV and was the son of the late Stoey Lawrence and Dora Olive (Maine) Hayes. Vern was a rubber worker having worked at Firestone and retiring in 1978. In 1971, he and his wife Laura purchased the Tallmadge Motel which they operated until 1978, they then purchased Lake Wapasun Campground, which they operated until 1985. Vern was always quite the handyman. He and Laura built 2 homes by themselves (back when you could buy dynamite at the hardware to break ground for the foundation). Nothing Vern built ever fell apart, due to the vast amount of nails and adhesive he would use. But, what he enjoyed most was getting in the car and driving. Vern and Laura twice drove to Alaska after their retirement and many other places around the country. They were also known to pick up and drive to southern Ohio or Pennsylvania just because they heard about a good place for lunch. They also spent many hours solving the world's problems at McDonald's. Through his whole life he was known for his sense of humor and his ability to embarrass his family with it. He is survived by his wife Laura Rosedell (Moore) Hayes, whom he married more than 73 years ago on October 10, 1942, their children, Royce Boron (Bill McDaniel), Roger (Sharon) Hayes and Robin Vandegrift (Bill Townsend), 7 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his infant son Michael Lee Hayes, 2 sisters and 2 brothers. A service to celebrate his life will take place on Tuesday at the Paquelet & Arnold-Lynch Funeral Home with Pastor Homer Watson officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 P.M. Cremation will follow the service and Mr. Hayes cremated remains will be laid to rest at Greenlawn Cemetery in Akron at a later date.