John was born in Hallsmill on 31^st December 1941 to Laurence and Emma Hayes.  He had one brother Gerry and 3 sisters Rosheen, Kay and Amelia.

 The family moved to Locard Park and then to Churchview Way in Laurencetown.  John attended Laurencetown school and when he left, he went to work in Down Shoes in Banbridge before moving to the Optical factory in Lurgan.
 In between times he went to work in England with his brother Gerry and friend Patsy Millar, but they didn’t like being there and stayed only a few weeks.  When they came back Gerry went to Australia and then on to Canada where his wife Karen still lives.  He wanted John to go with him, but John wouldn’t go.  Before Gerry left, he and John travelled around Ireland along with Patsy Millar and Louis Doyle in a Jaguar car that only did 20 miles to the gallon!  John and his good friends Micky Campbell and Seamus Murphy went to the Ballymascanlon Hotel every Sunday night.  

After his sister Kay passed away, John cared for his sister Amelia, who has Special Needs, for a year before she was admitted to Cairnhill Home in Newry.  He was very devoted to her and took her home every weekend and took her for a drive in his car. He particularly loved to drive to Warrenpoint and on to Carlingford.

 John was picked to go to Lourdes as one of the sick in our parish of Tullylish last year and he was looking forward to it.  We were delighted that he agreed to go as he is a fiercely private man.  Sadly, Covid put an end to the Lourdes trip and he never got to go.