[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 149 (Thursday, September 14, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E851-E852]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING THE LIFE OF MICHAEL C. HAYES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 14, 2023

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the life of 
Michael C. Hayes.
  Born on August 23, 1950, Michael was raised in Scituate, 
Massachusetts by his parents, Miriam and Robert Hayes. He attended 
Thayer Academy in Braintree and graduated from Boston College and 
Suffolk Law School. Infected with polio in 1955, Michael lived the 
remainder of his life in leg braces, serving as an inspiration to all 
and guiding his lifelong commitment to working for tolerance and 
acceptance of all people.
  After graduating from law school in 1975, Michael, a third-generation 
lawyer, practiced law alongside his brother, Joe, and his cousin, John, 
and later went on to serve as an Assistant District Attorney for 
Plymouth County. After a short time in California, Michael returned to 
his hometown to practice law on Front Street in Scituate Harbor. 
Throughout his legal career, he always sought to help those in need. 
Not only did Michael establish himself as a pillar of the community 
through his work as an attorney, but he was also a devoted public 
servant.
  First elected to the Scituate School Committee in 1988 in the wake of 
Proposition 2\1/2\ budget cuts, Michael proudly served Scituate's 
students until choosing not to run for re-election in 1994. He was 
recognized by the Scituate Town Meeting in 1995 for his ``his untiring 
and diligent efforts to secure the funding necessary to support and 
maintain excellence in public education despite pressing economic 
constraints.'' Michael returned to the school committee in 1998 and 
oversaw the construction of the new Jenkins School and an extensive 
renovation of Scituate High School and championed the funding for 
programs dear to him, including the arts and the METCO program. In 
2014, Michael chose not to seek re-election and took a step back to 
concentrate on his health. Ever committed to Scituate's schools, 
Michael returned once more, beginning his third tenure on the School 
Committee in 2016, which saw the opening of the new Gates School in 
2017. Michael won his tenth and final term on the School Committee in 
2019.
  Sadly, Michael left us too soon on August 21, 2023, leaving behind 
his children Patrick, Lucy, and Fred, and his five granddaughters, 
Chelsea, Lena, June, Iris, and Willow. Michael was predeceased by his 
daughter Heidi Rose.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor the life of Michael Hayes, and I ask 
that my colleagues

[[Page E852]]

join me in recognizing his life's commitment to serving his town and 
community.

                          ____________________