Dr. John Hays

John Woodward Hays, DDS, departed this side of life early New Year’s Day to be again with Fran, his bride of 70 years. He accomplished his objective to celebrate Christmas with family at home.

John was born May 3, 1915 to country physician Dr. John Woodward and Helen (Lucas) Hays in Albion, Indiana, and remembered making house calls with his father in a horse and buggy. In the mid-1920s he moved to Ann Arbor, MI, and graduated from Ann Arbor High School in 1932, a year early. He spent 1932-33 living in and touring Eastern Europe with his aunt and uncle and seeing firsthand the preludes to World War II. He graduated from the University of Michigan in '37 and its Dental School in '42, the same day his mother also graduated from U of M.

John and Frances Mary Anderson were married in 1940 and had a son the following year. As an Army Air Force Captain, he was stationed in Great Britain during WWII.

In 1946, with a new daughter, John and Fran moved to Traverse City. He opened his dental office on Front St. over Pete's Cafe. A decade later, he built a new office on 6th street across from Munson Hospital. John practiced dentistry for 42 years. He valued good work, was early to introduce preventive care and nutrition and was greatly appreciated by his patients. When he began his practice, fillings cost $3 to $5.

As a 56 year Rotary Club member, John favorably remembered helping build the Girl Scout Camp and singing in many minstrel shows. And for more than 50 years he and Fran filled relish trays at the NMC Barbecue.

They were pioneer skiers of the 1940s who learned on skis with no edges. They joined the Sugar Loaf Ski Club and later the TC Ski Club. They became instructors and ski-team chaperons in the ‘50s and ‘60s, and John was a race course starter for most local and regional races. They loved to ski big mountains, eastern and western.

Staying fit while having fun was a theme in their marriage and years of retirement. They faithfully worked out at the Fitness Center, took USA and European bike tours and could be found biweekly cycling around Lake Leelanau. John also loved music. He played drums in the high school marching band and the University of Michigan Dance Band, and he worked summers at the National Music Camp. He also enjoyed playing piano and organ, going to concerts and supporting his granddaughter’s opera career.

Always a reader, he and Fran chose reading together over watching TV. They read a lot about WWII, in which he played a part.

John was a craftsman by nature. He enjoyed planning and building projects and living in the home he designed. He loved walking his succession of dogs. He also loved driving sports cars. He liked to remember an early trip he and his mother made that amazed everyone because they had averaged 35 miles an hour! The best part was watching his mom manually cranking the windshield wipers.

John had a good sense of humor. He valued honesty and integrity. He was a romantic, generous person, loyal patriot and good citizen. Looking back, he was very thankful that they had chosen Traverse City. Being here had been very good for them.

He is survived by his daughter Valerie A. (Niel) Klein of Traverse City; granddaughter Hilerie Klein (Robert) Rensi of Binghamton, NY; grandson Tyler (Valerie B.) Klein, of Cleveland, Ohio; great grandchildren Nicholas, Jonah, Kate and Sophia, his sister Mary Katherine Chase of Las Vegas, NV; niece Linda Chase of Calabasas, CA; and former daughter-in-law Elaine Hays of Traverse City. Their son Gary died in 2002 and is survived by his wife Elizabeth Hays.

Memorials can be made to Leelanau Conservancy or the Traverse City YMCA.

Share your thoughts and memories with John’s family at www.lifestorynet.com. The family chose Life Story Funeral Home, Traverse City, to handle the cremation.