William Joseph “Billy” Hayes, 49, of Paxton, MA passed away unexpectedly on March 4, 2011. Born in Stoneham, Massachusetts on March 16, 1961, he grew up in Malden, earned his Bachelors Degree in Education from Fitchburg State College and has lived in Paxton more than 13 years.

     Billy is survived by his wife of 25 years, Denise (MacDonald) Hayes, their son Ryan and their daughter Alysia Hayes all of Paxton: his parents, Harold and Patricia (Lynch) Hayes of Melrose. He is the brother of Carol (Hayes) O’Brien of Malden, Denise (Hayes) Fitzgerald Of Andover, and Jeanne (Hayes) McNiff of Stoneham. Many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. Billy was passionate about his family and his students. Among many things, he enjoyed gardening, fishing, cards, carpentry and the summer trips to Wolfeboro, NH. Bill was known for his sense of humor and gentle disposition. For the past 26+ years he was a horticulture/agriculture teacher at Project COFFEE in Oxford, MA, an alternative educational program for at-risk students.

     Friends and relatives are invited to calling hours, Wednesday, March 9th from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Mercadante Funeral Home & Chapel, 370 Plantation Street, Worcester. His funeral will be celebrated Thursday, March 10th from the funeral home with a Mass at 11:00 am in Our Lady of the Angels Church, 1222 Main Street, Worcester Burial will follow in Worcester County Memorial Park in Paxton. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Project COFFEE – Bill Hayes Memorial Fund, c/o Oxford High School Annex, 495A Main Street, Oxford, MA 01540.