Enjoyed tennis, swimming, dancing and card games
STONEHAM — Patricia Ann Hayes passed away peacefully at the Fuller House in Stoneham on June 13 surrounded by her beloved family at the age of 88. She was the devoted wife of Harold “Babe” Hayes for 63 years until Babe’s passing in 2020. Pat was born in Charlestown on June 16, 1935 to the late William and Anna (Kelly) Lynch.
She was proud of her Charlestown roots and considered herself a life-long ’townie”. Pat’s strength and resilience can be directly attributed to her upbringing in Charlestown. Pat was predeceased by her brothers John “Jackie”, William “Bill” and Frances “Whimpy” Lynch; and her sister Catherine Sweeney. She is survived by her siblings Dorothy “Dottie” O’Donnell and Gerald “Jerry” Lynch. In her youth, Pat excelled at many sports. She played basketball and swam competitively. She earned many medals for swimming and for the high dive. For a young woman growing up in the early 1950’s this was an exceptional feat that Pat was very proud of. Pat and Babe lived for many years on Highland Ave in Malden where they raised their four children. Pat was a very active member of her community. She spent countless hours playing tennis and planning the 4th of July celebrations at Amerige Park. Pat and Babe’s summer tradition of taking their family to Crescent Lake in Wolfeboro was the highlight of their year and this tradition continues to this day. Wolfeboro and the lake were an integral part of the Hayes’ family life. After retirement, Pat and Babe became snowbirds and spent winters in Naples, FL. The Pars in Naples welcomed her with open arms and she loved being there.
You could find Pat playing tennis, swimming, dancing and enjoying any card game that she could find. Her neighbors knew that most likely Pat would win and they would lose some money. Pat had a unique ability to make friends wherever she went. Pat had such a wide variety of interests: cooking, reading, playing mahjong, playing cribbage, listening to music and weekly card games with her friends of 60 years. She was always able to find a common interest with people and gain a new friend. After Babe passed, Pat lived with her daughter Carol and son-in law John O’Brien. Pat and John spent many evenings together watching the Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy and concerts on PBS. They were great roommates.
Pat was the loving mother of Carol O’Brien and her husband John of Malden; the late William J. Hayes and his wife Denise of Worcester; Denise and Mark Fitzgerald of Andover; and Jeanne and her husband James McNiff of Stoneham. Pat leaves behind her 11 grandchildren who were her world. Michael and his wife Jennifer O’Brien of Wakefield; Lauren and her husband Charlie Acevedo of Londonderry, NH; Caitlin and her husband James DeMartino of Wakefield; Shannon Fitzgerald of Methuen; Alysia and her husband Joseph DeMartino of North Andover; Ryan and his wife Courtney Hayes of Worcester; Mark Fitzgerald of Methuen; Dylan and his wife Rachel McNiff Panzarella of Leicester; and Jessica, Michael and Kayla McNiff of Stoneham. Many dear nieces, nephews and friends.
Pat also leaves behind her 15 beautiful great grandchildren: Abby and Ava O’Brien; Isabelle, Karlie and Mariah Acevedo; Lilah and Duke DeMartino; Hailey, William and Violet DeMartino; Jameson and Liam Hayes; and Meredith, Emilia and Marley Panzarella.
Pat’s children, grandchildren and great grandchildren vow to continue her legacy of enjoying life to the fullest on Crescent Lake in Wolfeboro. We will feel her spirit with us and know that she is there on every crystal clear day on the lake. At the end of her life Pat was blessed to have the loving care and devotion of her family, especially her daughter Jeanne, who dedicated herself whole-heartedly to making sure that Pat received the best care possible. The compassionate care provided by the staff at the Fuller House in Stoneham, where Pat was fortunate enough to live during this last year, was exceptional and her family will be forever grateful. “We are all stories in the end, remembered by the adventures we had, the achievements we made and the people we loved. So make sure your story is a good one” Pat had a great story.
A visitation was held at the Gately Funeral Home, 79 W. Foster St., Melrose on Thursday, June 20 from 4 to 7 p.m. A funeral Mass celebrated on Friday, June 21 at 10 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Church, 600 Pleasant St., Malden. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Pat’s name to the Fuller House of Stoneham, 32 Franklin St., Stoneham, MA 02180. To sign online condolence, visit gatelyfh.com.
