of Little Rock, AR

December 15, 1937 - August 28, 2024

"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to no one." -- William Shakespeare

Don is survived by his sister, Eddie Sue Ryan (Richard); children, Clay Hays (Laura), Carla Hays; bonus daughter, Kaye Gilder and grandsons, Nathan Hays (Sara) and Dak Hackler (Tera). He was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Juanita (Nita/Nete) Hays (nee Wilson).

Don was born to Edmund Davis Hays and Vivian Jesse Hays (nee Tucker) in Leadville, Colorado ten days before Christmas, surrounded by feet of snow. He was one of only two babies who survived their first winter in the town with the 2nd highest elevation in Colorado. His Kansas father had found work there in the mines during the Depression years, but they very soon made their way out of the mountains to Ozark, Arkansas and eventually settled in Fort Smith.

He grew up to be a good, kind person with the intellectual mind of an engineer and inventor, but was also the king of Dad jokes. In the late 1950's he started his career as a self-taught industrial engineer and worked from there to engineering manager and assistant plant manager in several large manufacturing companies through some tumultuous economic years at: AMF - Little Rock, AR, Schwinn - Greenville, MS, Beaird-Poulan - Nashville, AR, Homelite - Gastonia, NC. Along the way he also designed and built additions and renovations to his homes, aviaries for his Birmingham Roller pigeons and a couple of enormous shops to house his many projects.

After retirement in 2000, he and Nita spent ten plus years as full time RV'ers, where he invented a system to locate the satellite to feed to a small, mobile dish for access to their cable tv subscription while on the road. He soon began helping fellow RV'ers set up their cable. His skill was passed around the RV community and soon at every campsite across the US and Mexico there were people knocking at the door asking if he was the 'satellite man'? This led to a side hustle SkyHawk although he only charged for parts and reluctantly took donations for his time and effort. However, payment of chocolate chip cookies and brownies was always welcomed. He also volunteered at campsites as Host and helped with whatever the park needed from cleaning to digging to building.

His children remember many instances of him being kind and respectful to all. To him you were first a person, regardless of ethnicity, skin color or station in life. They are grateful for his teaching them how to be in the world. Even his fathering was respectful, rarely physically punishing his kids, but (worse!) eyeing them seriously with a touch of sadness and saying that he was disappointed in the choice they had made. They would rather have been spanked.

In his last several years, Alzheimer's took his memories but he remained his core self: cheerful, kind and helpful. His children watched over him and loved him during that time just as he had watched over and loved them. Thank you to the kind souls at Hickory Heights who made that so much easier for us all.

Obituary Provided By:
Roller-Chenal Funeral Home
13801 Chenal Parkway
Little Rock, AR  72211
www.rollerfuneralhomes.com