J. Allen Hayes died unexpectedly on Monday, February 28, 2022 in the arms of his loving wife Kathleen (Kathy) Triplett Hayes to whom he’d been married for 56 years. He was born on August 13, 1944 in Los Angeles, California to Gladys Allen Hayes and James Franklin Hayes.
Allen attended St Mary’s School in Gilroy, Palma High School in Salinas, Santa Clara University, graduating with a Civil Engineering Degree, and later received an MBA from Boston College. Allen served in the United States Army in Frankfurt, Germany for the Army Corps of Engineers completing his service as a 1st Lieutenant. He worked for the German subsidiary of Standard Oil with all German speaking engineers in Frankfurt returning to the U.S. and joining The New York Life Insurance company in 1972 where he found great success.
As an agent he was on the President’s Council over 15 years, a member agent, The Nautilus Group, a service of New York Life Insurance Company, on the Agent Advisory Council (1992 & 2001), and was a member of the Santa Clara County Estate Planning Council, the Society of Financial Service Professionals, the NAIFA, and The Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) which is recognized in the industry as the standard of excellence in life insurance sales performances. He also received a number of honors to include the 1998 San Jose Life Underwriters Association Jack Richter Memorial Award as underwriter of the year for outstanding service to the community and industry. Together with his wife, they received the 1995 Norman Vincent Peale Foundation “America’s Award” – The Nobel Prize for goodness from President Ronald Reagan, the Ignation Award from Santa Clara University Alumni Association in recognition of distinguished service to humanity, and the First Annual “Quality of Life Award” from the MDRT Foundation.
Allen also served on several community boards. He was the Founding Director and President of Resources for Families and Communities, a non-profit corporation to support and strengthen families and communities. Together with his wife they founded “Kids Deserve Better” an advocacy project focusing on services for special needs children and together gave talks on adoption. He was also the Founding Director and co-chairman of the Saint Louise Hospital Board of Directors, a Board Member and President of South County Housing; a nonprofit corporation which provides housing for low-income families and seniors, and he was the Director and Secretary of The O’Connor Hospital Foundation.
Allen’s accomplishments are many, but his greatest accomplishments were his marriage to Kathy and their beautiful family they built together through their incredible faith in Jesus Christ. He loved them fiercely and completely and that love was returned in ways one can’t imagine. He was willing to make any sacrifice for their welfare and happiness. Michael, Edward, Juan, Matthew, Maxwell, Robert, Carole, Brendan, Daniel, Mary, David, Victor, Jennifer, Jessica, James, Joseph, and Brianna were his greatest blessing and legacy. Allen is also survived by his brother Warren and his wife Bernadette, his brothers and sisters in law Ray and Susan Triplett, Joanie and Mike Noyes, Terri and Mike Corman, and Barbara and John Sullivan, many nieces and nephews, and his 27 wonderful grandchildren.
Allen was a happy man who led a fulfilling life and who lived it in the way he thought best pleasing to God. His creed was simple: faith, family, and country, something he lived by every day of his life. He was a blessing to all those who were privileged to know him and will be missed terribly by all. He now sits with his Father in Heaven and will be continuing to be a strong presence in all of our lives.
Please join us for a Rosary in Allen’s honor Wednesday, March 9th at Habing Family Funeral home in Gilroy at 6:00 p.m. We also welcome you to Allen’s funeral at St. Mary’s Church in Gilroy Thursday, March 10 at 10 a.m.
In memory of Allen and in lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of the following:
Informed Choices Pregnancy Care Center 66 1st St Gilroy Ca 95020
St. Mary’s Church and School 11 1st St Gilroy, a 95020
Priests for Life PO Box 236695 Cocoa, Fl 32923-9800
St. Labre Indian School Ashland, MT 59004-1001
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