Nath Hayes: Gainesville businessman, community volunteer dies

GAINESVILLE - A Gainesville man, active in a number of local organizations from the Jaycees to the Salvation Army and Good News At Noon, has died.

Nath Hayes, 81, died Friday after a brief illness.

In 1956, Hayes began working for Sidney O. Smith Insurance in Gainesville and several years later decided to form his own insurance company, Nath T. Hayes, Inc.

He was a former Jaycees National Director and once served as President of the Gainesville Jaycees. He was also a member of the Gainesville Kiwanis Club, served as chairman of the local Salvation Army Advisory Board and was a regular Christmas Kettle bell ringer for the Salvation Army.

Hayes was a longtime elections poll worker and served as a volunteer at Good News at Noon and the Good News Food Pantry.

One of his greatest loves was Lake Winfield Scott in the north Georgia mountains, where his family has a cabin that was built by his father in 1939. He was President of the lake's Cabin Owners Association.

A Celebration of Life service will be held Sunday at Gainesville First United Methodist Church at 3:00.

(A complete obituary can be found on the AccessNorthGa.com Obituaries Page.)