John “Nolan” Hays of Mineral Wells, West Virginia, passed away surrounded by loved ones on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025, in Parkersburg, West Virginia, at the age of 79.
John Nolan was known as Nolan to his family and to many of his friends, and as John to most people he met while living in Mineral Wells or through business connections. But none of these were as meaningful to him as his titles of Husband, Grandad, Father, Brother, Cousin, and Friend.
Born at home in Gilmer County, West Virginia, on July 31, 1946, to his loving parents, John Newton Hays and Floda “Irene” (Groves) Hays, Nolan had a happy childhood on his family farm where he learned by his parents’ example what was important in life. He often recalled with smiles playing with his Collie dogs, his work horses Pat and Mike, and his school friends, many of whom he remained close to throughout his long life. He often said that he couldn’t have had better parents, better friends, or a better childhood.
Nolan was the only child of his parents’ marriage, and he had four older half-sisters—Viona, Jean, Betty Joe, and Marge—who doted on him throughout his childhood. Although his sisters were already teenagers when he was born, he maintained close and loving relationships with each of them and with their families. Nolan’s friends from his time in Glenville and Mineral Wells also became like family to him, and he loved and cherished each of them deeply.
Nolan attended Glenville High School, where he graduated in 1964 as a varsity letterman in football, baseball, and basketball. Some of his best friends at the time were also his teammates, Gary Swindler, Larry McKnight, Bob Fox, Tom Nichols, and Dwight Montgomery. His friends recall that he was an excellent athlete, highly competitive, and passionate about whichever sport he was playing, with football being his favorite. They also remember his love of music and hearing the Beatles for the first time in a car ride together (the song was Twist and Shout), as well as hearing their album Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band for the first time and listening to Elvis while playing cards.
From Glenville High, he went on to study at Glenville State College, where he met his extraordinary wife, Patricia Ann Greer. Nolan’s family has always enjoyed stories of his college days, a favorite being his admission that he nearly completed college without having read a single book. He was almost successful in that endeavor, but one extra fun night out ended his streak of good luck, and he did have to read that book to make up for a poor exam performance.
Nolan made what he would refer to as the best decision of his life when he married his wife, Patricia, on May 4, 1968. Their marriage has been a beautiful example of true love to the family, and their devotion to one another was unparalleled. Nolan and Patricia cared tirelessly for each other and remained devoted through each and every one of life’s triumphs and trials for the
entirety of their 57 years of marriage. They were best friends to each other, and all those who were privileged to know them as a couple can confirm without reservation that they, as individuals and as a couple, set the standard for living true to their wedding vows—”to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.”
Soon after marrying, Nolan enlisted in the United States Army Reserves, and he remained proud of his service to his country.
Nolan and Patricia had two sons early into their marriage, Joe and Shawn. Whether you knew him as Nolan or John, you would have heard about his sons. He was a loving, proud, and devoted father who was actively involved in every aspect of his sons’ lives, providing them with yearly family trips, coaching their sports teams, or being a vocal spectator at their events. The boys were known not to be able to mentally prepare to play a game until they saw him in the stands; and he was always there. He loved seeing them grow and mature to find their own path. Some of his most cherished memories were golfing with his sons, and he often said that a game of golf with them was the best gift he could receive. It’s ironic that he passed on Christmas Day, because it was his favorite holiday. He was notorious for giving gifts early, as he just couldn’t wait to see the excitement on the faces of those he loved. It wasn’t just a time to spoil his loved ones with gifts, whether on family trips or holidays; it was about the family being together. Joe and Shawn loved, respected, and admired their father deeply and felt that they were the luckiest kids in the world to have him as a father.
Nolan was an equally devoted grandfather to his four adoring granddaughters—Morgan, Caroline, Samantha, and Aniston (great-granddaughter)—who esteem him as the best Grandad who ever walked the earth. They all treasure his acceptance of their friends, to whom he was also Grandad. He will be remembered by his granddaughters as the smell of cigar smoke, a sunny day on a golf course; as someone who would have died for them, who loved his family fiercely; as the best-dressed man in the room, a master of dry humor, a talented golfer, and a gifted storyteller.
His granddaughter, Morgan, remembers him most as an outspoken and fearless advocate for the voiceless, the poor, and the friendless; as the Grandad who taught her to drive at a too-young age, sitting on his lap driving his car down the neighborhood street; as the Grandad who called her Doodle and Doll Baby, who taught her how to shoot straw wrappers out of a straw at dinner (to his wife’s feigned disapproval), who shelled pistachios for her as she sat on his lap when she was a child; who told her the moon ate his hair; who took her putt-putt golfing and wave jumping in the ocean; as her greatest protector and advocate, her biggest fan, the person who most believed in her, and the gold standard for what a man should be. He will remain, to her, her very
own George Bailey, and she is grateful to have had a shining example of unconditional love, what a parent and a grandparent should be for their children and grandchildren.
Caroline cherishes most that her Grandad’s love for her never wavered, that he never judged her no matter what, and that he was her biggest fan. She will always remember him for his candor and (sometimes dark) sense of humor, his soft hands, the fact that he laughed at her jokes when no one else did, and his acceptance of her thievery of his sweatshirts. She will forever smile at the memory of him stating that his granddaughters were all so beautiful because he is so pretty, and will treasure his special name for her, Beauty. She will never forget that he would have done anything for her, and often did. As the only grandchild who lived out of state, she is especially grateful that he always made her feel that that distance didn’t exist. She says he made her feel as though he couldn’t have been happier than if they could have shared bunk beds in the same room, living together for the rest of their lives.
Samantha will always remember Grandad as someone she could always turn to, no matter the circumstances. She always felt his unconditional love and support, through successes and setbacks. She loved his regular reminders of the Hays motto: “Hayses don’t lose.” He taught her how to speak her mind and to stand up for what’s right. She has wonderful memories of golfing with him, and says that he was the only person who could make her laugh, despite a bad mood. She treasures memories of his orneriness, especially at the dinner table, throwing balled-up straw wrappers at her for a laugh, never seeming to mind what people might think of them as long as she was smiling. Her favorite memory of Grandad is the time that he trusted her enough to fall asleep while she drove them to the beach, though she had only had her driving permit for less than a month.
Aniston will always remember that her Grandad loved to drive her up to the Witch’s House on warm summer evenings, and that he jumped at every opportunity to see, spend time with, and spoil her. She will cherish her memories of him begging her to model the new clothing he bought her after one of their shopping trips and his stories of his own childhood on the family farm with his parents, cows, and dogs. She will always remember his special name for her, Biggun; the smell of his cigars and his ceaseless request for kisses, his nightly Snickers snack, their cuddles, and their clandestine snack-capades. She loved that they shared a talent for drawing and an intolerance of anything sad, always turning their faces to the sunshine of life. Grandad-Aniston dates to Olive Garden are some of her favorite memories with him, and she cherishes the fact that he never let her forget that she was his absolute favorite great-granddaughter.
Nolan had a long and fulfilling career in banking and business, which he began when he and his family moved to Mineral Wells/Parkersburg in 1972. He began his career working for The Associates, a savings and loan company, and he touched many lives as a loan officer at Valley Savings & Loan and Wesbanco. He later served as vice president at Williamstown National
Bank, where he was also a member of the board of directors. He told his family that he felt that he couldn’t have had a more fulfilling career, that he cherished having been able to help so many people through his work. He was known to give people a chance, give them the gift of their first home or their own business, when no one else would. He also owned several businesses, and through his work as a banker and entrepreneur, he met many people with whom he would become lifelong friends, and this was another element of his career that he described as particularly fulfilling.
Aside from spending time with his family and friends, Nolan’s greatest passion was golf. He spent countless hours golfing with his good friends and was even able to play the legendary course at St. Andrews in Scotland, where he traveled with his wife Patricia and their friends. Nolan also had a great love for the beach, where he spent a great deal of his time. Nolan loved to travel and saw much of the world in his 79 years, having traveled to Ireland, Scotland, France, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Colombia, and many states within the U.S. Paris, France, was his favorite travel destination, with Ireland and Scotland coming in second, and he had planned to return to Ireland and Scotland with his family in the near future. He also hoped to travel to Australia and to England someday.
At home, he could be found on the front porch on nice days (when not on the golf course), smoking a cigar and talking to the neighbors who passed by. On game days, he could not be moved from his spot on the back porch, watching the Mountaineers play.
Nolan was amazingly generous, unfailingly brave, and so very kind. He exhorted those he loved to be the very best they could be. He regularly donated to local charities and would literally give someone the shirt off of his back. He had the kind of voice that people want to listen to, and his wife recalls her college roommates running down the hall to listen to his voice on the dorm phone when he called her there, gushing over his smooth bass tone.
Nolan was preceded in death by his parents, John and Irene Hays; his sisters—Viona, Jean, Betty Joe, and Marge; and his brother, Charles Newton, who died in childhood before Nolan was born.
Nolan’s memory is cherished by his peerlessly devoted wife of 57 years, Patricia Ann Hays; his two loving sons, John Joseph Hays and wife Kris (of Clarksburg, West Virginia) and Shawn Patrick Hays and wife Liza Taylor (of Whittier, California); his four adoring granddaughters—Morgan Virginia Hays Riddle, Caroline Olivia Hays, Samantha Jo Hays, and Aniston Patricia Hays Riddle (great-granddaughter); innumerable friends, cherished golfing buddies, and beloved family members; and his pet cat, whom he lovingly called “Pup.”
Nolan was a great man, and his family will carry on his memory and legacy with honor, gratitude, and love.
A Memorial Service will be held Tuesday, December 30, 2025 at 3:00 pm at the Leavitt Funeral Home, Parkersburg with Reverend Chuck Furbee officiating.
Visitation will be Tuesday 1-3pm at the funeral home.
Donations may be made in his memory to House to Homes, 827 7th Street, Parkersburg, WV 26101.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.LeavittFuneralHome.com
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