Jim Hays

James Herbert Hays of Belton, TX, died Nov. 30, 2014. He was 86. Mr. Hays was born April 3, 1928, in Warsaw, MO to Elmer and Rue Hays. His siblings are the late Dick Hays and Bill Hays. Upon graduating from the University of Texas in 1950 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering, Mr. Hays was hired as a surveyor with the Army Corps of Engineers to help with construction of the Belton Dam. He married Dorothy Mae, "Dot," Crouch from Houston, TX, in 1950, and the couple had two children: Jim Hays, who passed away in 2003, and Rue Hays. Mr. Hays was soon hired by Alcoa Aluminum, embarking on a career path that took him and his family all over the world: 22 moves from 1950 through 1986, including three years in both Jamaica and Switzerland. Mr. Hays rose to a leadership position in the Fortune 500 Company when he became Chief Construction Engineer in 1982. A highlight of his career was his involvement in constructing the aluminum frame of the World Trade Center in New York. He retired in 1986, and he and Dot moved back home to Belton. Jim's friends and family will remember him as stubborn, smart, private and cool, fiercely loyal to those he loved, with a dry sense of humor, sharp business acumen, and unending generosity. He was an avid golfer, hunter, Freemason, and was a member of Salado United Methodist Church. He was a former director of People's National Bank, past president of the Bell County Museum Board of Trustees, and was president of his Belton High School class all four years. He is survived by his wife Dorothy Hays, of Belton, TX; daughter Rue Hays of Lake Mary, FL; grandchildren Luke Hammon of Belton, TX, Lauren Hays of Pascagoula, MS, Jamie Hammon of Washington, D.C., Brett Hammon, of Austin, TX; and Jimmy Hays of Pascagoula, MS. The funeral will be held at Dossman Funeral Home on Dec. 3 at 2:00 p.m. Visiting hours will be held Dec. 2 from 6-8 p.m.