Eugene Buchanan Hayes, 98

Eugene Buchanan Hayes, 98, died Sunday, September 13, 2020, in Walla Walla, Washington, after a brief illness. Mr. Hayes was born at the family home on Bear Creek, near Wallowa, Oregon, on February 16, 1922, to Hugh and Bessie (Vernon) Hayes. Raised with six brothers and two sisters, he attended Wallowa schools. In high school he played football, track (pole vault and the mile) and basketball. His senior year was interrupted when he enlisted in the U.S. Army, but he received his diploma in 1943 while in the service.

Gene served with the First Cavalry Division, “A” Troop, 8th Regiment, as a BAR point man and scout in Australia, New Guinea, the Admiralty Islands, and on Leyte, Samar, and Luzon in the Philippines from 1943-1945, receiving the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and a Presidential Unit Citation on “A” Troup Hill in the Admiralties. After the war Gene and a few friends took an adventurous trip to Alaska along the Al-Can Highway then being constructed, to spend the summer working at the Ladd Air Force Base. He also worked seasonally in various timber and fire lookout jobs.

In 1947 Hayes lost his right hand in a feed mill accident in Wallowa. While still in the hospital he began sketching with his left hand. After training at the Jean Turner Art Center in San Francisco in 1948, he went on to earn a diploma in commercial art from Oregon Technical Institute in Klamath Falls.

On Christmas Day in 1950 Gene married his sweetheart Glenna McGee of Sandpoint, Idaho, and they later settled in Lostine, Oregon, where they raised their family. After working with the U.S. Forest Service in Wallowa County for several years, Gene opened his own sign shop in Lostine and raised a small band of sheep. During this time he continued to develop his talent for drawing and painting. In 1962 Gene was commissioned to do two oil paintings for the USS Enterprise. In 1966 the family relocated to Sandpoint, Idaho, where they later built a log house together. In addition to operating his commercial sign painting business, Gene devoted more time to Western and wildlife painting and drawing, building a log gallery in 1980.

In 1988 his wife Glenna passed away, and he married Eunice Perks of Sandpoint, Idaho, on July 15, 1988. In 1989 the couple moved to Wallowa County, where he did both commercial and fine art, with Eunice by his side. A prolific artist, Gene’s subject matter covered a wide range, from miniatures to murals to book illustrations, on historical, Western and wildlife themes. He had numerous exhibits and one-man shows in the Pacific Northwest, including exhibits at the Idaho governor’s office and the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City.

Gene was a past member of the Izaak Walton League, the Spokane Realistic Art Association, the Sandpoint Art Association, the Wallowa County Handcrafters Guild, and the American Legion. He volunteered in area schools, teaching art to elementary students. Gene enjoyed hunting, taking scenic drives to view and sketch wildlife, and getting together with family. He will be remembered for his love for his family, his artistic talent, his kind and generous spirit, and his enjoyment of the beauty of the natural world.

Mr. Hayes was preceded in death by his parents, Hugh and Bessie Hayes; wife Glenna McGee Hayes; siblings Hugh Hayes, Vernon Hayes, Bud Hayes, Jerry Hayes, Myrtle Moffit and Betty Rysdam; stepson George Perks; and great-grandson Malachi Swearingen. He is survived by his wife Eunice Perks Hayes; children Nadine Messer of Walla Walla, Norman Hayes (Melissa) of Elgin, Susan Laabs (Leonard) of Walla Walla, and John Hayes (Linda) of Milton-Freewater; grandchildren Jason Hayes of Spokane Valley, Washington; Jennifer Wilson of Washington, D.C.; Michael Wilson of Arlington, Virginia; and Jana Wilson of Astoria, New York; brothers Thomas Hayes of Wallowa and Patrick Hayes of Milwaukie, Oregon; 12 nieces and nephews; stepchildren Hazel Sutton (Michael) of Pocatello, Idaho, and Christian Perks (Christine) of Yakima, Washington; and 8 step-grandchildren.

Graveside services were held Friday, September 18, 2020, at the Lostine Cemetery. Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home in Milton-Freewater is in charge of arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Eugene B. Hayes Scholarship Fund for Wallowa High School graduating seniors at any Community Bank.

To leave a online condolence visit www.munsellerhodes.com