Rosalee K. Hayes 1926 - 2024

Rosalee Killam Hayes, 98, passed away September 18, 2024. Rosalee was a resident of McMinnville, Oregon. A native Oregonian, she was born in 1926 in Portland, Oregon. Rosalee was a 1944 graduate of Portland’s Grant High School, and University of Oregon, (1949). Once, she was kicked out of college for staying out past curfew! That and several antics earned her numerous friends (and displeased housemothers).

During World War II, she was a tour guide at the shipyards. In 1949, she married Reginald F. (Bud) Hayes of Santa Maria, California. In 1959, they sold everything and left for Mexico for six months with three small children. They settled in Montecito, California, for a number of years. In the 1960s, Rosalee taught at Santa Barbara Junior High and was active for several years with the prestigious Youth Theatre Productions. Everywhere she went and in all her endeavors, Rosalee loved to share her strong artistic flair.

Moving back to Lake Oswego, Rosalee decided to get into real estate, winning several awards for sales over the years. She and Bud visited the San Juan Islands, visiting the Rosario Hotel often. She was a real estate agent in McMinnville, Lake Oswego, San Ramon, California, and Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i. She was active in the American Association of University Women, and was the charter president in both Lake Oswego and McMinnville. She was a member of Gallery Theater in McMinnville, and made her stage debut at the age of 80 as the second lead in "Waiting in the Wings." She helped form a volunteer group of women called the Ladies of the Loft, who helped with the theater’s event receptions. She was also involved in the McMinnville Newcomers Club and volunteered at Habitat for Humanity.

Rosalee is survived by her children, Jeffrey Hayes, Bryan Hayes of Port Townsend, Washington, and Tracy Hayes.