Darrol Lee Hayes

Date of Birth: June 9, 1940

Date of Death: October 14, 2020

Longtime Kenai resident Darrol Lee Hayes, 80, passed away Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020 at Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna, Alaska.

Memorial services will be announced at a later time/date.

Darrol was born June 9, 1940 in New Underwood, South Dakota and was a graduate of Molalla High School, Molalla, Or. He moved to Kenai with his family in 1969, and lived there for about a year. He worked as a UFCW union meat cutter prior to starting his apprenticeship with Sprinkler Fitters Local Union 669 in 1973. In 1982 he returned to Alaska, and worked as a Fire Sprinkler System Installer, and retired from Local Union 669 in 1995.

Darrol was an avid sports fan, and the New York Yankees were his favorite team.

His family wrote, "Darrol was a selfless person, with a unique sense of humor, always concerned more with the needs of friends and family than his own. He loved spending time watching his grandkids play sports, from Kindergarten through High School. These sporting events included traveling across the State of Alaska from Barrow to Ketchikan."

"Darrol also traveled across Alaska with his occupation as a Local Union 669 Sprinkler Fitter, installing fire protection systems. Those locations were often remote, serviced only by aircraft. Places like Shemya AFB, Nome, Kaktovik, Prudhoe Bay, Petersburg, Juneau, Ketchikan and many other places in between, became home away from home. He will be missed terribly by his friends and family."

Darrol was preceded in death by his wife, Karen L. Hayes and grandson, Tyler Hayes.

He is survived by his sons, Christopher L Hayes of Kenai and Frederick L. Hayes of Oregon City, Ore.; grandchildren, Jared L. Hayes of Canby, Ore., Crystal L. Essert of Soldotna, AK, and Colton L. Hayes of Kenai; great grand-grandchildren, William A. and Henry T. Hayes, both of Canby, Ore., and Norah L. Essert of Soldotna.

Rather than flowers, the family prefers donations be sent to Way Out Women, a local cancer charity organization, P.O. Box 39653, Ninilchik, AK 99639.

Arrangements were by Peninsula Memorial Chapel in Kenai.

Published in Peninsula Clarion on Oct. 25, 2020.