Obituary of Jacqueline Mary Hayes

To view the livestream of the funeral mass, please CLICK HERE

Passed away peacefully at Grand River Hospital, KW Campus, Kitchener, on Sunday, July 21, 2024, at the age of 96. Beloved wife of the late Edward Hayes. Daughter of the late Robert and Helen Cardy. Also predeceased by brother Bob (Mary).

Loving mother of Brian (Julia), Terry (Monica), the late Kathy (Rick) and the late Kevin (Dolly). Cherished grandmother of Zach, Sarah (Mitto), Ed, Helen, Lucas, Sydney, Emily, Georgia, Benton, the late Erin, Kristi Donau, Sarah Stemmerdink, and Matt Donau. Missed also by her many nieces and nephews.

Jackie was 16 when she joined The Record as assistant women’s editor. She couldn’t afford to go to university, but her teachers at St. Mary’s encouraged her to pursue a journalistic career because of awards she had won. Luckily for her, at the time, a lot of male junior staffers had enlisted, including her future husband Ed whom she married in 1949 after a brief stint at Maclean-Hunter.

The Record, like many other employers then, didn’t permit husbands and wives to work together, but it wouldn’t have mattered since the first of their four children arrived just 11 months later and most new moms didn’t work outside the home.

While raising a family, she did freelance writing, mainly for Maclean-Hunter’s business papers. As children left for university, she completed her grade 13 and went on to work full time at Equitable Life Insurance Company, in sales promotion and editing their agent publication.

When Ed retired in 1981, he became actively involved in volunteer work and Jackie took early retirement as Equitable Life’s advertising and public relations manager to join him a few years later. She volunteered with St. Mary’s Hospital for 43 years, but also enjoyed volunteering with several other organizations. She would say that you certainly get back far more than you give when you volunteer.

In 1989 she was asked to write a weekly column on retirement for six weeks which continued for the next 24 years. She was concerned at the outset because she and Ed were just beginning to enjoy the freedom of spontaneous travel adventures but was assured there would be no problem. Many of the stories she wrote came from personal experiences, but more often they were suggested by her readers and to whom she was grateful for their emails, comments and suggestions.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Lourdes RC Church, 173 Lourdes Street, Waterloo, on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., with Father Stephen Murrin officiating. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall. A private interment will be held at Woodland Cemetery, Kitchener.

A livestream and recording of the mass will be available at the top of this page shortly before the mass begins.

Condolences for the family and donations to St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation, or The Canadian Cancer Society, may be arranged through the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King Street S., Waterloo, at www.erbgood.com.