The Honorable Patrick Henry Hayes, Jr., 58

SOUTH FORK— South Fork resident The Honorable Patrick Henry Hayes, Jr., 58, passed away on May 29, 2018 at his home under the care of Hospice Del Valle.

He was born on April 30, 1960 in Fort Ord, Calif. to Patrick Henry Hayes and Norma Standing Hayes.  During his younger years, he lived in California, Verona, Italy and Alabama, before his family finally settled in Lawton, Okla., where he grew up.

Pat graduated from Eisenhower High School and then went on to attend Cameron University, both in Lawton, Okla. Following his graduation from Cameron University, he served his community on the Lawton Police Department for five and a half years, ending his career as an investigator with the Comanche County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force. 

Pat went on to attend the Oklahoma City University School of Law on a Hatton W. Sumners Scholarship.  He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the program fourth in his class out of 154. Following law school, Pat joined the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office. On June 3, 1995 he married Mary Katharine (Kazie) Sheridan in Southport, Conn. In the spring of 1996 Pat and Kazie moved to the San Luis Valley where he began his career as a Deputy District Attorney with the 12th Judicial District. He worked his way through the ranks at the District Attorney’s Office eventually being named Chief Deputy District Attorney.

In 2001, Pat decided to make a change and he left the District Attorney’s Office to become a Juvenile Magistrate for the 12th Judicial District and act as the Municipal Magistrate for the town of Creede as well as working with Alamosa attorney Steve Atencio. In 2004 Pat started his own private practice, Hayes Law PC.  He practiced mainly criminal defense from 2004 until January of 2011 when he was appointed as Rio Grande County Court Judge and later selected as the Water Referee for Water Division 3, The Rio Grande River Basin and most recently serving as the 27th District Court Judge in the 12th Judicial District.  He was an avid skier, runner, cyclist and rodeo fan.

Pat is survived by his wife Kazie Hayes and his son Charles Sheridan Hayes of South Fork; his sisters, Mary (Randy) Barker and Linda Hayes, both of Lawton, Okla.; his nephew Sean McLaughlin of Sacramento, Calif. and his father-in-law Ted Sheridan of South Yarmouth, Mass. as well as the many professional and personal friends he made throughout his life.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his mother-in-law, Mary Ann Sheridan.

Cremation was selected and a graveside service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 2 at the South Fork Cemetery at Shaw Creek. A reception will follow the service at the Rio Grande Club in South Fork. In lieu of flowers, contributions are suggested to the Rio Grande County Courthouse Restoration Fund and may be made in care of the funeral home office. To express condolences to the family, please visit www.rogersfunerals.com

Rogers Family Mortuary in Monte Vista is in care of the arrangements.