Bruce Hayes died March 8, 2006, at age 82. He leaves behind his wife Dorothy; brother Donald Hayes and sister Ann Valois; daughter Susan Haigh and her family (husband Brantley and children Maguire and Marilyn); son Bob Hayes; daughter Kathy Solis and her son Alex.

Bruce was born in 1923 in Fuzhou, China, where his parents spent many years as Methodist missionaries. After a furlough in Maryland, Bruce, his mother and brother were stranded in California when war broke out in China. The family stayed on, and Bruce attended South Pasadena High School, where he began many friendships that endured throughout his lifetime. Bruce attended Colorado College until World War II began and he was recruited by the OSS (predecessor to the CIA) to return to China. He was among the first group of men to complete the agency's new intelligence training program. In China, he recruited a team of "coast watcher" spies to support bombing operations by the famous Flying Tigers air squadron. Bruce's stories of flights with daredevil pilots, hideouts among Chinese locals and capture by Chinese pirates have always fascinated the Hayes children. After the war, Bruce returned to Southern California, pledged the Sigma Chi fraternity and completed his bachelor's degree at USC. He married Dorothy Winn of San Marino (SPHS '43), with whom he shared 59 years of marriage, and began a 36-year corporate banking career at Bank of America in Los Angeles.

During the years after his retirement in 1984, Bruce's favorite hobbies, and his family's fondest memories of him were his do-it-yourself projects, in both his and his children's homes and gardens. Bruce's family will miss his wit, his warm affection and his dedication to his family.

Pasadena Star-News, March 15, 2006