Horace Ollin Hayes

Mr. Horace Ollin Hayes, age 96, of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, formerly of Boaz, died on Thursday, February 22, 2024, at his residence.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, February 26, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church Boaz with Dr. Drew Hayes, Dr. Aaron Johnson, and Rev. Micah Hayes officiating. Interment will follow at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church Cemetery at 3:30 p.m. Visitation will be on Monday, February 26, 2024, from 11:30 a.m. until service time and will continue after the service until 3:00 p.m. at the church.

Ollin Hayes was born on May 10, 1927, to Ollie and Ella Hayes. The seventh of eight children, Ollin spent the first 12 years of his life on a farm in Horton, Alabama. When he was 12, the Hayes family moved to Boaz. Ollin was an outstanding athlete and played football, basketball, and baseball at Boaz High School. He left high school before graduation to serve in the United States Navy in 1945-46. But after the war, he returned to Boaz to finish his secondary education. He was a star on the 1946-47 Boaz High School basketball team that advanced to the quarterfinals of the state tournament. 

After high school, Ollin played basketball at Snead Junior College and then attended Jacksonville State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in education. He later earned a master of arts degree from Vanderbilt’s Peabody College.

Ollin spent his career as a social studies and P.E. teacher, coach, and principal, including at Belgreen High School in Franklin County, Cotaco High School in Morgan County, Albertville High School, and Ferry Pass High School in Pensacola, Florida.

During the 1966-67 school year, Ollin became the principal of Boaz Junior High School. And in 1970, he began a 22-year tenure as the principal of Boaz High School. He retired in 1992 as the longest-serving principal in the history of Boaz High School.

Ollin was married to Jimmie Nunn, who grew up in the Aroney area. They wed on June 3, 1954, and were married for nearly 56 years, until her death in 2010. Ollin and Jimmie were long-time members of First Baptist Church Boaz.

Ollin is survived by his son, Drew Hayes (Susan) of Shelbyville, Tennessee; his daughters, Millie Hayes Kennedy (Phil) of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, and Demorah Hayes of Atlanta, Georgia; his grandchildren, Micah Hayes (Amber) of Kansas City, Kansas, Meagan Hayes Turnbow (Kyle) of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Maleah Hayes Dillon (Josh) and Morgan Hayes of Nashville, Tennessee, Meredith Hayes Smith (Chase) of Shelbyville, Tennessee, Emily Kennedy Armour (Joseph) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Rebekah Kennedy Carroll (McKenzie) of Memphis, Tennessee, and Kathryn Kennedy of Birmingham, Alabama; his great-grandchildren, Hannah and Hudson Turnbow, Annie, Caroline, and Emma Dillon, Charlotte, Ben, and Calvin Hayes, and Claire Armour; his brother, Hoyle Hayes (Jan) of Boaz, Alabama; and his sister-in-law, Peggy Bearden of Boaz, Alabama. He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Jimmie Ruth Nunn Hayes; his brothers, Lester, Glenn, Ealie, and Ottis Hayes; and his sisters, Ovell Hayes Whitehead and Elvie Hayes Weaver.

The pallbearers will be Joseph Armour, McKenzie Carroll, Joshua Dillon, Micah Hayes, Chase Smith, and Kyle Turnbow.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 337, Boaz, AL 35957.