originally posted on 12/10/2021
John M. W. Hayek (91) passed away on October 24, 2021, at hospice (VITAS of the Palm Beaches) following his battle with dementia.
He leaves behind his husband and longtime friend and partner, James H. Bowen; step-niece, Linda Woda; and step-nephew, Harry M. Lanzi.
Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, he was the only child of Elmer and Edith Hayek, both of whom are deceased.
During the past 40 years, he was a resident of Flushing Township, Michigan, wintering in recent years near Lake Worth, Florida.
John graduated from the University of Toledo, receiving B.Ed. and B.S. degrees. He also received an M.S. in botany from the University of Iowa and enrolled in summer studies in hydrobiology at The Ohio State University and postgraduate studies in marine biology at the University of Oregon.
He taught biology for 36 ½ years at Mott Community College before retiring to pursue his other interests.
John was an avid amusement park enthusiast and a fan of antique wooden carousels. He was a charter member and past president of the National Carousel Association, where he also was an editor of the organization’s publication The Merry-Go-Roundup. John co-authored a small book about the long-gone amusement parks of the Toledo, Ohio, area.
He furthered his interests in the amusement industry as a partner in an amusement park operation in the Flint, Michigan, area. In later times he spent 16 years as both a part-time employee and a volunteer at Crossroads Village in Flint.
John was an ACE member for several decades. His member number was 54.
— James Bowen
@#$%&!
#ACENews