James "Jim" L. Hayes

James L. "Jim" Hayes, 86, former resident, passed away Monday, December 1, 2014 at Lovelace Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Visitation will be 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Friday, December 5, 2014 at Denton-Wood Funeral Home. A Graveside Service is scheduled for Saturday, December 6, 2014, 1:00 PM, at Carlsbad Cemeteryl with Rev. Dan Boyd officiating. Carlsbad Veterans Honor Guard will provide military honors. Denton-Wood Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. James L. "Jim" Hayes was born January 27, 1928 in Mountain View, Oklahoma to Charles E. and Nellie Gates (Smith) Hayes. He lived in Belen, NM as a young boy and moved with his family to Carlsbad where he graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1946. Jim attended college at Western New Mexico University and received a masters Degree at NMSU. He worked in the dairy business in Happy Valley 15 years before beginning his teaching career. Jim taught in Loving and Carlsbad a number of years before moving to Mountainair in 1981. He served as principal and superintendent in Mountainair. Jim was a long time member of the Rotary Club. He was instrumental in starting the Thunderbird Dancers and thoroughly enjoyed their adventures through the years. He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters and four brothers. Survivors are his sister, Dorothy Bell of Georgia; sisters-in-law: Madeline Hayes of Carlsbad, NM, Peggy Hayes of Los Lunas, NM and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to Mountainair Rotary Club, P.O. Box 733, Mountainair, NM 87036. Condolences may be expressed at dentonwood.com.