Gerald F. Hayes, affectionately known as "Jerry or Flake" was one of five children born to Gladys and Collins Hayes, in Alexandria, Rapides Parrish, Louisiana on November 26, 1943.  He passed on January 4, 2022, in Lompoc, California at the age of 78.

Jerry is survived by his loving wife Janice Malia Hayes, who he married on September 23, 1972.  This year would have marked their 50 ^th wedding anniversary.  Jerry was a devout family man with daughters Shauna (Dale) Shell, Vickie (Bob) O'Neal, Sheri (Denis) Hayes, sons Jerry Don (Brenda) Hayes and Craig (Andrea) Conner, and 15 grandchildren: Katie, JD, Joshua, Daniel, Christopher, Nathan, Sarah, Jordan, Dale, Haylea, Kara, Blair, Brinton, Ashley, Krystin, Alexis, and Caleb.  He was preceded in death by his daughter and her husband Shelly and Eric Hensley.  He preferred nothing more than being with his children and grandchildren. Jerry was a protector of his family and his love for them was unmatched by most.

Jerry will be remembered as a storyteller. He often recounted stories of his life to his children and grandchildren and spoke passionately of his time in the United States Army.  Jerry proudly served an active tour in Vietnam during what he described as the worst part of the war in which he lost many friends in his unit.

Jerry worked for Grefco and Martin Marietta.  He had many interests outside of work, including fishing, hunting, boating, camping, flying, working with computers, having barbeques, watching the Cowboys and Angels play ball…and win, and more than anything, spending time with his family.

Jerry's early years as a child were hard.  He learned quickly to appreciate the small things in life. This made Jerry a driven man.  When he set his mind to doing something, he did it!  When he decided he wanted to fly, he studied hard and earned his pilot's license.  He wanted to re-upholstery his boat and make Halloween costumes for his baby girl, Shauna, so he learned to sew.  He wanted to fix engines, so he became an accomplished mechanic and took great pride in teaching his sons and sharing with them his love for cars and engines.  He wanted to provide for his family, so he worked hard, became an electrician, and earned a living working in aerospace at VAFB.  He was also a tinkerer and gadget man.  He loved working in his garage and "fixing" things. He loved to learn how things worked and often spent time taking objects apart just to put them back together again.

Gerald "Jerry" Hayes was a true American who loved and served his country proudly as well as a true family man who loved and was loved by his family.

The memorial service will be Saturday, February 12, at 11am at the Lompoc Church of Christ followed by a reception in the church's fellowship hall.