Obituary

Robert B. Hayes
(November 25, 1925 - May 11, 2018)

DR. ROBERT B. “BOB” HAYES, 92, of Huntington, W.Va., passed away on Friday, May 11, 2018, at Woodlands Retirement Center in Huntington.  He was born in Clarksburg, W. Va. on November 15, 1925, son of the late Bruce and Ruby (Hitt) Hayes.  After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1944-1946, Bob married the former Ruth Harrison in 1947.  The couple had four children – Steven (Beverly) Hayes of Hoboken, N.J.; Ruthann (Dan) Waters of Hickory, N.C.; Kathy Hayes (deceased in infancy); and Mark (Loretta) Hayes of Huntington.  After Ruth’s death in 1980, Bob married Kathleen “Katy” Peters and the couple lived in Huntington until Katy’s death in 2017.  Besides his three children, Bob is survived by Katy’s sons, Bradley (Patti) Peters of Columbus, Ohio and Mark (Marci) Peters of Newark, Ohio and was preceded in death by his three sisters – Freda Mae (Hayes) Steele, Lorene (Hayes) Wood and Rachel (Hayes) Hines, and Katy’s daughter Cindy Peters.   Additionally, Bob is survived by ten grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and many loving nephews, nieces and other relatives.  Bob obtained his B.A. degree in 1951 from Asbury College, and earned a Master’s degree in 1956 and a Ph.D. in 1960, both from the University of Kansas.  He was named Dean of Teacher Education at Taylor University in 1959 and served in that capacity for six years.  In 1965, Bob began a long association with Marshall University when he was named Dean of Marshall’s Teachers College.  In 1974, Bob was named the 11th President of Marshall University – the first native West Virginian to serve in this position since 1915.  During his nine year tenure as President, Marshall experienced unprecedented growth in enrollment and facilities and saw the advent of the Regents’ Degree program, the Marshall (now Mountwest) Community and Technical College and Marshall’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.  After his first ‘retirement’ in 1990, Bob returned to Marshall at the request of then-President J. Wade Gilley in a variety of positions, including interim dean of the University’s College of Business, interim president of the Community and Technical College and by leading Marshall’s self-study to prepare for its national accreditation.  In 2006, in conjunction with C.T. Mitchell (former Marshall Director of Informational Services), he authored “$7,000 in the Bank: The Remarkable Story of Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine”. Finally, in 2007, he accepted a position with the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing (RCBI) and served that facility and its CEO, Charlotte Weber, as curriculum developer until he (again) retired in 2013 at the age of 87.  Bob served his community as a former County Commissioner for Cabell County, and as a long-term member of the Board of Directors for Green Acres Regional Center for the developmentally disabled.  He also faithfully taught the Berean Sunday School class for Otterbein United Methodist Church in Huntington for over thirty years and was a previous recipient of the award for West Virginia United Methodist Church Layperson of the Year.  Bob’s life was defined by his personal relationship with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and he was a Christian role model for his children, grandchildren, friends and colleagues.  He was very proud of his family, and especially enjoyed his role of “Granddad”.  He lived a full and inspiring life and his family will miss his guidance and humor.  The public is invited to join in the celebration of the life of Dr. Robert B. Hayes at a Memorial Service to be held on Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. at the Don Morris Room, 2nd floor, Marshall University Student Center.  The family will greet friends following the service.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Dr. Robert B. Hayes Memorial Scholarship c/o Marshall University Foundation, 519 John Marshall Drive, Huntington, WV 25703.  The scholarship will benefit West Virginians studying at Marshall to become teachers.