James M. Hays

James Mallory Hays, known to friends and family as Jim, passed away peacefully on Easter morning, April 9, 2023, in Salem, Oregon, at the age of 88. Born on August 14, 1934, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to James Douglas and Ruth (Mallory) Hays, Jim was a lifelong learner.

Jim met his wife, Marcine Hurst, in Seattle, Washington, where they married on October 22, 1983. Together, they raised three children, Dan, Anne-Marie, and David, who brought happiness and new insights into their lives. In later years, two more Hayses, Gavin and Piper, were added to their family.

Jim was always a hard worker, and before joining the navy, he worked at several jobs including delivering engineering drawings at Lockheed. After high school, Jim joined the United States Navy and served during the Korean conflict. He learned electronics in the navy, and after his discharge, he became a sales engineer. Later, through his natural engineering talent and research, he became a water remediation specialist, creating equipment to clean water through natural processes.

Jim wasn’t religious in his youth, but when he became converted to Christ it gave him great peace. He allowed it to change his life. A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for his last 40 years, he found great comfort and belonging in the Gospel and was always willing to share his belief in Christ. He believed that love was the center of Christianity. His kindness and warmth touched the lives of many.

The navy and business led him to many countries including China, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, The Philippines, Mexico, Canada, Panama, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Chile, Ecuador, and Venezuela. He was an adventurer, picking up the language and enjoying the food and culture wherever he went. Travel wasn’t the object in itself.

He appreciated his family and learned much from them. He wasn’t effusive, but he loved his children and was proud of them all and only wished the best for them. He saw his death as going to the next stage of life to prepare a place for them. His final thoughts on the meaning of life were not on travel and inventions but on family and faith.