Mark Stephen Hays

July 25, 1955 - February 8, 2018

MARK STEPHEN HAYS July 25, 1955—Feb. 8, 2018 Our most dearly loved husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and friend, Mark Stephen Hays was born in Los Angeles, CA on July 25, 1955 to Robert Frank Hays and Mary Jane McCarver. He passed on from this mortal journey Feb. 8, 2018. He was diagnosed on Nov. 30th with Hepatocellular carcinoma—a very aggressive noncurable cancer. Just like his 10 years of chronic fatigue, Mark accepted his health challenges with faith, determination to try his best in enduring great difficulties and always a heart-warming smile on his face. His positive attitude and wonderful sense of humor remained his every day choice. Mark is survived by his wife, Janet Hays, who adores him with her whole heart, his three children from a previous marriage, Danielle Elsberry, Kara Hays and Bryce Hays who have been blessed with an amazing father, Noah and Amai who have a very kind grandfather, his father, Robert Hays who deeply loves him, and his siblings, Jeff Hays, Donna Evans, and Brooke Hoffman who love and cherish their wonderful brother. He was preceded in death by his mother, Mary Jane McCarver Hays, his sister Deborah Davison and his brother Scott Hays. Mark grew up in LaMirada, CA. At age 7 his family moved to northern CA—Pittville (named for the Pit Indians where the Pit River flows.) Pittville was a boy’s paradise. Mark often mentioned gratitude for his parents’ decision to move to a beautiful, peaceful, place of many great adventures in a rural setting. Mark served a mission on the Navajo Indian Reservation (Holbrook Arizona.) He graduated from BYU in Elementary Education with a Master’s Degree in Psychology. He enjoyed teaching 9 years of Seminary in New Mexico, Idaho and Utah. He was known for his amazing illustrations on the board to add to his great telling of scripture stories. Mark and Janet met at a workshop for teachers. It truly was love at first sight! They were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple for time AND FOR ETERNITY on July 20, 1991. Mark and Janet shared 26 ½ loving, joyful, glorious, grateful years of marriage together! A wonderful part of their marriage included summer vacations all over the U.S. for Church and U.S. history sites as well as sight-seeing including Canada. Mark taught elementary school for 18 years, mainly 5th graders. That wonderful Mr. Hays provided awesome experiences for his students including a reenactment of the 3-Day Gettysburg Battle from the Civil War. Uniforms, PVC marshmallow guns, a tennis-ball shooting cannon, fencing like Gettysburg, Penn. Battlefield has today, background music with narration were all included in his annual event. Mark served in many scouting callings as well as teaching youth Sunday classes, Stake YM Presidency and high priest group leadership in his Highland, Utah ward. He was known in the ward as an incredible, talented scouter, one to help with leather and woodworking projects, and especially one who always wanted to help out in any way he could. Mark will be greatly missed by all who know and love him. The best tribute anyone could give him would be to follow his great example of discipleship for our Savior, Jesus Christ. A viewing will be held Friday, Feb. 16th at the LDS Highland East Stake Center, 4679 W. 11000 N. Highland, Utah 84003 from 6:30—8:30 P.M. Another viewing will be held Saturday, Feb. 17th, at the same location, 9:30—10:30 A.M. The funeral will follow at 11:00 A.M. Mark’s desire would be in lieu of flowers to have donations given to the LDS Humanitarian Aid Fund, Perpetual Education Fund or to Cancer Research.