Barbara Rossi compared her family to the TV family on “Leave It to Beaver.”
“My parents were Ward and June Cleaver,” said Rossi. Her father had “zero tolerance” for kids who didn’t behave or got bad grades. When that happened, “Dad would give you that look, and you knew you were chopped liver.”
Her father, James Hayes, died Friday in Lakewood. He was 74. A celebration of his life is planned for noon Sunday at 11633 W. 84th Place in Arvada.
Hayes had his own escapades as a kid, so he was ready for anything his own kids could think up.
He and his childhood friend, Jim Edwards of Denver, grew up in south Denver and worked for years on a tunnel into the Polo Club and the Denver Country Club. Both areas had hills, and the two pre-teens were dying to ski.
“We called it the mole’s hole,” said Edwards, who remained friends with Hayes for 70 years.
The ski bug never left Hayes. He dropped out of high school for a year to ski in Sun Valley, Idaho, “so he could ski with the movie stars,” said Rossi, who lives in Arvada.
Hayes was married for 47 years to Frances Cummings Hayes, whom he met at South High School.
“She was the social director,” said their daughter.
For years, the couple lived in Dillon, and Frances Hayes came up with a lot of ideas that her husband helped her execute.
They had the local fire department flood the area behind their liquor store, Billy Jack Liquors, so children could ice skate, said Rossi.
She got donations of gear and lockers. She dubbed the place the “Cheapskate.”
Frances Hayes preceded her husband in death.
Frances also created the July 4 parade in Dillon and organized street dances. “They were soulmates,” said Rossi. “They were a team of concocting maniacs.”
Jim Hayes had the idea for a bus to run to the various nearby ski slopes and dubbed it the Summit Stage. He started with three school buses, which ran between Dillon, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain and Arapahoe Basin. The Stage still runs today, Rossi said.
The Hayeses moved to Dillon after Jim Hayes retired from B.F. Walker, a trucking company that hauled oil-field equipment. He was traffic manager.
He served as mayor of Dillon from 1982 until 1986.
James R. Hayes was born on May 21, 1931, and graduated from South High and the University of Denver, where he majored in business.
In addition to his daughter, he is survived by another daughter, Michelle Oakfield, and a son, Michael Hayes, both of Denver; one grandchild; and one great grandchild.
Staff writer Virginia Culver can be reached at 303-820-1223 or vculver@denverpost.com.
