Earl English Hayes

Earl English Hayes of Mt. Pleasant, passed away on Saturday, June 13, 2015 at the age of 80, but his larger-than-life persona and trademark stories will not be forgotten.

The family will visit with friends on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Williams Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Williams Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee with Tommy Colvert and Staley Colvert officiating. Burial will follow at Arlington cemetery.

Earl was born in West Fork, Tennessee to Leonard Jackson Hayes and Ava Rena Hayes. He was reared by his beloved second mother, Lizzie Hayes. One of thirteen children, Earl was named for the physician who delivered him at home, Dr. G.C. English.

He was married for fifty-three years to Margaret Louise Phillips Hayes, who preceded him in death on February 8, 2009.

Earl was co-owner/operator of Allen’s Barber Shop in Mt. Pleasant for over forty years, where he developed his skills as a master story teller. You could be sure that 50% of every story was true, you just never knew which 50%. Earl also had the beautiful ability to take you back in time with his vivid descriptions of the way he lived life as a child and young man.

Earl had a life-long love affair with fishing and gardening. He produced the largest and juiciest tomatoes for miles around and was generous in sharing his bounty with others. He bragged about showing other fishermen “Big Stick from Brush” and liked to say that he could feel the fish swimming by his hook, which might have been another one of his tall tales, except that he caught a fish within seconds of casting out… EVERY time.

Earl loved all animals and spent many hours cracking nuts to feed to the squirrels. He always said that he wanted to repay the favor since many times while growing up his family relied on squirrels for their next meal. He couldn’t stand to see any animal mistreated or hungry and fed every stray that walked through his yard.

Earl is survived by three loving daughters Debbie Hayes, Dolly (Wendell) Weaver, and Kim Edwards (KC Cagle); six grandchildren Deidra (Frankie) Boswell, Kara (Brent) Lovell, Matthew (April) Cole, Blaze Cole (Chuck Grooms), Brad (Jessica) Weaver, and Brian (Lindsay) Weaver; eleven great-grandchildren Frankie Boswell, Maggie Boswell, Tanner Boswell, Aynaka Horton, Isaac Horton, Ian Horton, Sutherlyn Cole, Judd Bullock, Lacey Prince, Chance Grooms, and Ben Weaver; brother Dalton (Lillian) Hayes; sister Marlene (Johnny) Kirk; and his black cat Kit.

Earl was preceded in death by brothers Buford Hayes, Claude Hayes, Odell Hayes, Cleve Hayes, Vance Hayes, and Boaz Hayes; sisters Irene Knox, Dorothy Wood, Lottie Douglas, and Sue Pugh; and his beloved poodles Sophie and Miss Sophie.

Pallbearers will be Matthew Cole, Alvin Hayes, Richard Hayes, Matt Hayes, Brad Weaver, and Brian Weaver.

Honorary pallbearers will be Allison Allen, Bobby and Kathy Bain, Horace Boshers, Katrina Donaldson, George Roger Gilliam, Jim T. Hamilton, Grady Hayes, Gary Joe King, Danny Mash, Charles Matheny, Larry Nance, Joe Nance, Scotty Nance, Devin Nance, Tommy Nicholson, Raj Patel, Harry Rail, as well as all his many other partners in crime that are too numerous to mention.

Everyone who remembers Earl is asked to celebrate his life in their own way. Telling a whopper of a fishing story or feeding a stray animal would be most appropriate.

As it has so many times in days gone by, the sign on the Barber Shop door once again says, “Gone Fishin”.

Williams Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences may be shared with the family at www.williamsfh.com .