About Carl Leroy Hayes
Carl Hayes was married to Tressa Hayes for nearly 60 years, before she passed away in May. He had two children with Tressa, along with 5 grandchildren and one great grand-child.
With Tressa and his daughter Rachel, he also helped raise three of his grandchildren and gave them a safe and loving home to grow up in. So he had two families he raised over 80 some years. And he was so very happy to get to know his first great-grandson, William, just in the last 5 years. He loved his family tremendously, and called and spoke with many members of his family regularly.
He was raised on a South Dakota ranch – where he first drove a tractor at 9 years old, and where he went fishing and hunting with his father, the inimitable Cecil Hayes of Bonita Springs, where Carl got his booming voice and love of classic Christian hymns.
Carl was the first one in his family to complete a four-year college degree, and a graduate degree in seminary, where he learned Greek and Hebrew. He then was called to China, where he spent 4 years learning Mandarin Chinese to a level of fluency where he could read and write in his fourth language. He then spent years on the mission field in Taipei, Taiwan, where his son Ned was born, and on a deputation trip back to the United States, his daughter Rachel joined his family. After Taiwan, Carl spent decades recruiting English teachers to go to China as part of the faith-based English Language Institute for China, and he also took the time to pursue a third degree – another graduate degree, from Biola University. Finally, he retired after over 25 years of service to ELIC.
But then, Carl made a choice a lot of us wouldn’t make. He decided to go back to school, at age 65, to get a third Masters degree – this time in Early Childhood Education. He said he’d always loved working with children, so he got his degree in Early Childhood, and went to work as a grandfather preschool teacher. He worked for several schools, but his favorite was Western Christian School, where he was appointed to be in charge of playground activities for younger students.
Carl was with his wife Tressa for over 60 years, and was a father for 53 years. He is survived by his children Ned and Rachel. His heirs include grandchildren Marisa Hayes, Kathryn Hayes, Brittney Grilli, Jessica Grilli and Nicholas Hayes, as well as great-grandchild William Hayes.
He was loved, and he will be missed.
About Tressa Dykstra Hayes
Tressa was born in Rock Valley, Iowa on July 8, 1940.
She was one of 7 children, 5 surviving into adulthood.
Tressa met her husband Carl in 1959 at Northwestern Bible College in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Tressa served as a missionary and nurse in Singapore and Taiwan for 10 years. She learned to speak and read fluently in Mandarin Chinese.
In Taiwan, she gave birth to her son Ned in 1968 (named after her father, Nicholas Elijah Dykstra).
When Tressa and Carl returned to the United States, they lived in Nebraska and in California. In 1972, their daughter Rachel was adopted.
Tressa and Carl helped to raise their three local granddaughters, Marisa, Brittney and Jessica and welcomed all their family into their home in Glendora.
Tressa was immensely proud of her children and grandchildren. Her daughter Rachel is a Licensed Vocational Nurse and her son Ned is a published novelist and technologist.
Tressa was a life-long learner. Tressa finished her AA in Nursing in 1982, her BS in Nursing in 1985 and her Masters in Nursing (MSN) in 1994. Even up to the time of her death, she was collecting materials and past research for a possible PhD in the Nursing field.
During her nursing career, Tressa worked for more than 20 nursing agencies or hospitals over 3 continents, doing hands-on patient care and on-call home health nursing for many years. Often, she did this work on the weekends and holidays.
One of her most rewarding work assignments was work in hospice, and in fact, she wrote some of her graduate papers on hospice care and end-of-life procedures.
For over 10 years, Tressa was also a senior nurse consultant for the State of California, shaping healthcare policy for counties across the state. This was her weekday job.
Tressa was also a highly involved and active mother and grand-mother, attending children’s events, caring for family and feeding and clothing her family with hand-made clothing (she fashioned 3 amazing hand-sewn wedding dresses), as well as many quilts and other hand-made gifts.
Tressa was with Carl for over 60 years, and was a mother for 53 years. She is survived by her sister Lucy, her husband Carl, her children Ned and Rachel. Her heirs include grandchildren Marisa Hayes, Kathryn Hayes, Brittney Grilli, Jessica Grilli and Nicholas Hayes, as well as great-grandchild William Hayes.
She was loved, and she will be missed.