James Anthony Hayes

James Anthony Hayes

March 23, 1944 - January 11, 2021
Laguna Niguel California

James Anthony Hayes

March 23, 1944 - January 11, 2021
Laguna Niguel California

Obituary

Jim Hayes passed away from natural causes on Monday January 11, 2021 in Laguna Niguel, California at the age of 76.

Jim was born on March 23rd, 1944 in Mansfield, England to Dorothy and Horace Hayes.  In school he was successful in athletics and academics and was head boy in secondary school. Jim graduated from the University of Manchester with a degree in Physics.  He immigrated to the United States in 1968 to work on semiconductor design and manufacturing. He started at General Instruments in Salt Lake City.  He then moved to Silicon Valley to work at AMI, Synertek, Honeywell, and later at Varian. His specialty was creating the “recipe” for controlling the materials, environment, and manufacturing of silicon chips.  His colleagues would say that like baking a cake, anyone can follow a proven recipe, but only a chef with great expertise can devise the recipe and predict how the ingredients will react.  He obtained several patents and gave speeches on his work.  He then started his own successful consulting business called Mospro which allowed him to ease into retirement in 2007.

In his middle years, Jim was an avid sportsman, playing tennis, soccer, and golf.  He and his friends would take local trips to Pajaro Dunes Resort to catchup and recharge. He took many vacations with friends in Tahiti, skiing in Utah, Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, houseboat trip on the Delta River, and tropical retreats to Maui.  He made his way back to England several times to visit his sisters and other family and reminisce on where it all began.

Jim moved to Southern California in 2015 to be closer to his sons.  He spent his remaining years with his family, getting to see his granddaughters on a weekly basis.  He spent his free time working through hundreds of advanced Sudoku books, going for daily walks, and visiting his clubhouse for a swim and hot tub.  Though he struggled with dementia, he always recognized his sons, daughters-in-law, and especially his beautiful granddaughters. The mere sight of his family energized him and lit up his face with that amazing smile. Jim was known to his family and friends as a warm, kind hearted, and generous man.

Jim is survived by his sisters Jill and Lin, sons Dan and Tom, and granddaughters Lana and Lauren.

Please join the family for a virtual live-streamed Memorial held at O’Connor Mortuary on Saturday, January 30th at 2:00 PM PST.  In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org).

 

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17 responses to James Anthony Hayes

  1. As the youngest of three children I remember big brother Jim looking after and organizing his two younger sisters as we played at home, in the garden, and on our family holidays to the seaside. He was our caring protective leader. After going to the USA he made many visits back to England to see family and friends and he was still the same smiling, friendly, generous Jim I remembered, always ready with a laugh and a big hug. I will miss him sorely and never forget him.

    Gil

  2. Denis Hickey says:

    Denis Hickey

  3. Denis Hickey says:

    Jim didn’t care about politics; liked watching Sampras play tennis, adored and bragged about his sons and their families, and was incredibly prompt. In the years I lived in San Francisco, he was always exactly on time when he visited Malgosia and I for dinner. How is that possible? There’s traffic.
    In the 50 years I’ve known him, I don’t remember having an argument with Jim. He was an honest, humble, organized and always positive man who loved to play tennis, soccer, darts to my frustration, and meet with his many adoring female friends. There was also a purity in his character that fit the scientist in him. Jimmy was not a philosopher, but he loved to listen to philosophy. He welcomed people to his house.
    Jim was a superb athlete and tennis player who rarely double-faulted or missed a ground stroke. I would occasionally fix Jim up with friends like Dave Travis and my cousin Gregory who were A players often overcome by Jim’s superb play and gentlemanly nature. He looked forward to organizing weekend trips to Pajaro Dunes with his friend, Hannie. He organized his group of diverse friends who mixed with the “Pajaro Crowd” for a weekend of tennis, walks on the beach, charades, which the women invariably won, singing songs as backup to Bill Holtcamp, Hannie Kapka and later Dennis Eastwood and his Irish mates.
    As part of the talent show, Jim provided limericks featuring Little Albert, who was eaten by an old, normally easy-going, lion by the name of Wallace. Wallace reluctantly “swallowed the lad whole,” as Jim recited the events. Albert’s parents had paid a topence per day for insurance on the little guy, and after the sad Wallace incident, it was not all for naught. The insurance agent had to pay the parents for a change. Jim’s next limerick, demanded by the crowd, brought little Albert back to life and Wallace to his former easy-going state.
    Jim often ended his Pajaro evenings in the wee hours of the morning, after lots of wine and bridge with myself, Hannie and his frequent partner, Kay Eastwood. Besides Pajaro, the four of us often played Bridge alternating houses. Whoever hosted provided dinner. We were always exactly on time, and the ladies always treated Jim like a grand master bridge player, even though he liked to bid high at times without having the cards to back it up.
    Jim was a kind, generous person. His home was an oasis for people down on their luck or in need of a place to call home, like Shiraz and me. He helped put Shiraz through his astrophysicist doctorate by charging little or no rent for almost 10 years. He wouldn’t take rent from me until I made an issue of it. He hated conflict. I will miss my friend.

  4. With many happy memories of my dear cousin, Jim. Christmases and holidays together as children. Reunions when he returned to England. And a memorable holiday with him in California. His smile will live on. My thoughts are with Tom and Dan and all the familiy. x

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