An occasional feature about people who make a difference in the lives of other people.

Rollins College honors ‘Heydays’ creator Ed Hayes

St. Margaret Mary parishioner has written popular Sentinel column for 22 years.

DEBRA TOMASELLI | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Posted: 05.12.09

Courtesy of the Hayes Family
For more than 20 years, Ed Hayes’ column, “Heydays” has been appeared in the Orlando Sentinel. “I really enjoy writing the columns,” said Hayes, who cranks out new material weekly. “A day without writing something creative feels like a day wasted.”

ORLANDO | On Sunday, May 10, Ed Hayes, creator of the popular “Heydays” column in the Orlando Sentinel, received an honorary doctorate from Rollins College in Winter Park.

“In a ‘Heydays’ column last summer, Ed Hayes referred to Rollins College as a ‘grand champion of liberal arts,’” said Lewis M. Duncan, president of Rollins. “As such, we are dedicated to creative accomplishment. We are pleased to honor Ed Hayes’ creative accomplishments and his outstanding career.”

Not bad for Hayes, who grew up during the Depression and had to quit high school to get a job. Not bad for Hayes, who, after serving in World War II, became a journalist. Not bad for the writer who, no matter how small the town or the publication, believed his readers “deserved coverage as good as what appeared in the New York Times.”

Hayes, an active member of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Winter Park, came to Orlando in 1967, working as a sportswriter. Upon his retirement from the Orlando Sentinel in 1987, the paper invited him to create the current column, but Hayes wondered whether he wanted to accept deadlines again. His wife, Betty Ann Weber, however, encouraged him.

It turned out to be a good idea.

“I really enjoy writing the columns,” said Hayes, who cranks out new material weekly. “A day without writing something creative feels like a day wasted.”

So far, he’s written 1,166 columns. “I’ve never missed a week,” he said.

Hayes doesn’t lack for ideas. “When I have a thought, I sit down and type out some words,” he said. His musings reveal the human condition, striking a chord in the hearts of readers.

“There will be times when I’m experiencing something and realize it would make a good column,” he said. Like the time he and his wife were caring for their daughter’s dog and it escaped, or the day his neighbor spotted his first gray hair, prompting an article about old age, mirrors and silver linings.

He admits ideas aren’t always that easy, and that’s when he reaches for the dictionary or thesaurus. “All I need is one word to get me started,” Hayes said. “There’s a word: pennies. I wrote a column about how important pennies were during the Depression.”

The longstanding column attracts fans, offering diversion from the typical news stories of corruption, murders and wars. “The reader knows I’m not going to write about something terrible,” Hayes said. “They know ‘Heydays’ will entertain them, maybe with a smile, a laugh or a tear.”

And while he is the one who has moved the emotions of so many people through the years, it was Duncan’s letter that returned the favor, leaving a lasting impression on Hayes.

Weber handles much of the incoming mail, so when the unexpected correspondence arrived from Rollins College, she opened it and began reading aloud to Hayes.

“I tried to (read it), but I broke down crying,” Weber said. “I was so happy that after all these years someone took notice and recognized him for the life he’s led. He hears a lot of nice things from people, but something like this is a great validation.”

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