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2021 SPECIAL SESSION I

21104473D
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 517
Offered February 15, 2021
Celebrating the life of John Hayes, D.V.M.
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Patron-- Bell
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WHEREAS, John Hayes, D.V.M., esteemed veterinarian, devoted mentor, and beloved member of the Greene County community, died on May 18, 2020; and

WHEREAS, affectionately known throughout his career as “Dr. John,” John Hayes grew up in southern Maryland and graduated from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 1963, where he was president of the student chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association; and

WHEREAS, upon graduating, John Hayes served his country with honor and distinction as a member of the United States Air Force Veterinary Corps for two years; and

WHEREAS, John Hayes ran his first clinic, Squire Veterinary Clinic in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, from 1966 to the mid-1980s, growing the business into the largest solo veterinary practice in the state and earning recognition from Washingtonian magazine in 1985 as the best veterinary practice for affordability and quality; and

WHEREAS, John Hayes subsequently settled in Greene County and, recognizing a need for veterinary services in the region, opened the Ruckersville Veterinary Clinic in 1988, which he managed until his retirement in 2006; and

WHEREAS, both throughout his career and in retirement, John Hayes selflessly provided pro bono services all hours of the day to rescue groups, animal welfare organizations, shelters, and others in need; and

WHEREAS, to further his pro bono work, John Hayes partnered with the Madison Humane Society in 2007 and later became the organization’s director, moving its operations to Greene County and renaming it the Madison-Greene Humane Society (MGHS); and

WHEREAS, over his 13 years with MGHS, John Hayes established the region’s first cat shelter, offered discounted medical care to innumerable shelter animals and pets of low-income individuals, and provided more than 1,200 surgeries per year; and

WHEREAS, dedicated to advancing his profession for the benefit of the animals he loved, John Hayes served with various veterinary associations on the local, state, and federal level, including terms as president of the Maryland Veterinary Association and the Maryland Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners; and

WHEREAS, John Hayes fostered several future generations of veterinarians as a mentor to the many veterinary students who passed through his practice, as a founder of the Maryland Veterinary Foundation, and as a supporter of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; and

WHEREAS, John Hayes was the recipient of myriad awards and accolades over the years in recognition of his remarkable career and service to others, including the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association’s Virginia Distinguished Veterinarian of the Year award in 2009 and the American Red Cross’s Animal Rescue Hero award in 2017; and

WHEREAS, John Hayes’s forceful advocacy helped improve animal safety laws in Maryland while his efforts as a founding member of the Greene County Chamber of Commerce and as a former president of the Greene County Lions Club contributed immensely to the well-being of his community; and

WHEREAS, John Hayes will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by his loving wife of 30 years, Barbara; his children, Marcee, Heather, Shawn, and Brett, and their families; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of John Hayes, D.V.M., an accomplished and respected veterinarian whose unwavering kindness, generosity, and compassion had a profound and lasting impact on the Greene County community; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of John Hayes, D.V.M., as an expression of the House of Delegates’ respect for his memory.