Mrs. M. Dorothy "Dotty" Hayes

When M. Dorothy “Dotty” (Landry) Hayes (formerly of Lawrence, Plymouth and Lenox, MA) passed away, at 83 years of age, on Thursday, December 15th, 2022 it was in typical Dotty fashion – fighting to the end to stay alive, be heard and to be relevant. Despite significant health setbacks throughout her life, she forged through with tenacity and spirit. While that didn’t always make her the most popular person in the room, she wasn’t bothered by that. For her it was more important to be the person you are truly meant to be, a lesson she constantly instilled in her two daughters. She’d be disappointed that those daughters, Lisa (Hayes) Gaudet and Deirdre Tozer-Hayes, are even writing this obituary. In her words, “let any obituary just say I was here, I lived, and now I’m gone – end of story”. Did you ever see children that listen to their parents? Not likely to happen here now. She loved deeply many, many people and they, in-kind, loved her back. She believed in a good party and even threw herself one upon learning of her terminal diagnosis. We called it “Dot Day”. Over sixty relatives and friends gathered to dance (a must for Dotty), laugh, and celebrate the love they all have for each other and for her. For those who went before her, her parents Tony and Rose (Auclair) Landry, her husband of thirty-five years, John “Jack” Hayes, and her godmother Mary James, she loved them here in life not certain if there would be another plane, or world, where they would meet again. The beauty in Dotty is that she questioned…..everything. In her mind everything was up for examination and scrutiny. Her other lesson to her kids was “never be afraid to ask. What’s the worst someone can say to you? No? Or mind your business? Big deal, better than not having asked”. Besides her daughters, she leaves behind granddaughters Deirdre Gaudet, Cole and Seeley Tozer-Hayes, son in-law Rick Gaudet, and daughter in-law Fiona Tozer-Hayes who are stronger for having known and loved her. Others she was always grateful for having in her life include her brother Ronald Landry (her beloved friend and partner in crime since childhood), his wife Katie, her sister in-law Mary Armour, several nieces and nephews, as well as her longtime partner and love, Arthur Sprague. A world traveler who always enjoyed new experiences, Dotty’s adaptability was never more on display as when, during the course of her life, she moved thirteen times and said she always made at least one new friend in each place she lived. Dotty regularly asked her kids “are you happy”? More often than not, our response was a firm “yes”. We are happy to have had such a strong and inspiring, while equally demanding and challenging, mother. She was a gift, and the world is changed for us because she no longer walks in it with us. Dotty's family would like to express their sincere gratitude and extend a special thank you to both HospiceCare in the Berkshires, as well as the team at Kimball Farms for their outstanding care and support during this time. Funeral Notice: A celebration of Dotty’s life with music, dancing, raucous laughter and a few tears will be held in the spring for family and friends. Those wishing to honor Dotty’s memory can donate to the Epilepsy Genetics Program at Boston Children’s Hospital www.childrenshospital.org/programs/epilepsy-genetics-program or The American Cancer Society.

Mrs. M. Dorothy "Dotty" Hayes

October 31, 1939 - December 15, 2022