Daniel Robert Hays

Daniel Robert Hays, 62, of West Linn and formerly of Enterprise, died May 17 from pulmonary complications.

Funeral services will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 30, at Saint Catherine's Catholic Church in Enterprise. A final memorial and celebration of Dan's life will be held afterward for all family and friends.

Dan was born Sept., 21 1946, and raised in Enterprise. His parents, Vernon and Mary Hays, homesteaded in Joseph in the 1940s. Dan was one of five siblings. He worked on his family cattle ranch and earned money for college by playing his trumpet in a dance band, The Yellow Jackets. Dan was a member of the OSU marching band and performed in the 1964 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. He was also in the Baker City Elks Lodge Drum and Bugle Corp. Dan most recently played in a Portland R&B band.

In high school he was a wrestler, football player and avid golfer. He made it to the state championships in wrestling and graduated in 1968 from Oregon State University with a bachelor's of arts in parks and recreation.

Dan met his first wife, Dagget McDaniel, in high school and married soon after. They had two children, Jade and Jill. Dan and Dagget divorced in 1973.

He was a walk-on for the OSU football team. Although sidelined early after being diagnosed with diabetes, he was determined it would never slow him down. He was a dedicated Beavers fan for more than 40 years and rarely missed a football, basketball or baseball game. He served on the board of the OSU Beaver Athletic Student Fund.

Daniel's family says that nobody took the OSU-UO "Civil War" more seriously than Dan. He was such an avid Beaver fan that when he heard his good friend's daughter had been accepted to school at Eugene, he offered to pay her college tuition if she would decline and attend classes in Corvallis.

Dan worked for a short time as a parole counselor in Chicago for juvenile offenders. He managed the Moore's Alley restaurant in Ontario with his brother. For a short time he was manager of the Crane Creek Country Club in Boise.

Dan's outgoing personality made him successful in the automobile industry. He discovered his passion working for Brown Motors in Pendleton. In 1976 he sold a new car to Linda Eckman and married her in 1980. In 1986 they settled in West Linn for their remaining years together. They had one son, Bryan.

Dan spent more than 35 years in his profession, starting out in car sales with Nissan and advancing to technical training and NW regional management with Subaru of America. He traveled extensively and was a gifted public speaker. He was a believer in the power of a positive attitude and had a great work ethic.

Like his father, Vernon "Beanie" Hays who is remembered as emcee for the Chief Joseph Days Parade, Dan had an animated presence that commanded attention. Dan loved practical jokes, telling ghost stories, hunting, fishing, riding his Harley and creating unforgettable memories.

Those who knew Dan say he cared deeply for his beloved wife and family and countless others. They say Dan knew no strangers and had an amazing ability to connect with others.

"Papa D" was a loyal family man, believed in his faith and country and was very proud of his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Although he was unable to speak during his final days, he fought hard to hang on and labored to write out his final wishes to his family: "Be a champion, take care of people, and set an example."

Dan is survived by his adoring family: wife, Linda; brothers Michael, John and David; children, Jade (wife Cabrini), Jill (husband John) and Bryan (wife Erin); three grandchildren; and first wife Dagget.

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