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Post by gregmitch70 on Dec 26, 2023 14:02:33 GMT -5
Very sad to hear this today and very worried, have known him since high school and at Bonas and very good friends today, Iron Man 5 and Bona Hall of Famer. He still lives Niagara Falls and in Florida. Attended the Bona womens team game at NU just last month. Message from his daughter:
Please say a prayer for my Dad, John Hayes. He suffered a stroke on Christmas Eve morning and is in the hospital not doing well. We are praying that he regains mobility and speech, but I’m worried that we have a long road ahead. I love you, Dad…you got this, I have faith that you can pull through!
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Post by faffy444 on Dec 26, 2023 14:13:32 GMT -5
Very sad to hear this today and very worried, have known him since high school and very good friends today, Iron Man 5 and Bona Hall of Famer. He still lives Niagara Falls and in Florida. Message from his daughter: Please say a prayer for my Dad, John Hayes. He suffered a stroke on Christmas Eve morning and is in the hospital not doing well. We are praying that he regains mobility and speech, but I’m worried that we have a long road ahead. I love you, Dad…you got this, I have faith that you can pull through!
GOD BLESS JOHN. he was a hero to all of us downtown NIAGARA FALLS boys club kids. i will pray for him and his lovely wife LINDA, who was a classmate of mine. |
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Post by wgt on Dec 26, 2023 14:21:28 GMT -5
Praying for his recovery.
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Post by oldtimer on Dec 26, 2023 14:26:35 GMT -5
What a great Bona guy! I am very sorry to hear this news.
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Bonas70
Sophomore Member
Posts: 111
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Post by Bonas70 on Dec 26, 2023 15:23:06 GMT -5
Sad news. I met John at a pregame get together in Charlotte a couple of years ago. Just a great, friendly guy. A true Bona man!!!
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Post by MM77 on Dec 26, 2023 15:37:09 GMT -5
John is in my prayers right now. Was able to connect with John on facebook and get some autographed pictures of him he sent to me. Such a gentlemen and a Bona legend.
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Post by Hermit on Dec 26, 2023 16:54:31 GMT -5
Legendary Bonaventure head coach Larry Weise said of Hayes following his career, "As a freshman, nobody on the varsity team could stop him. If he hadn't gotten hurt, he would have been right up there with Tom Stith and Bob Lanier as Bonaventure's best players."
There is no higher praise….
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Post by gregmitch70 on Dec 26, 2023 17:19:32 GMT -5
Legendary Bonaventure head coach Larry Weise said of Hayes following his career, "As a freshman, nobody on the varsity team could stop him. If he hadn't gotten hurt, he would have been right up there with Tom Stith and Bob Lanier as Bonaventure's best players." There is no higher praise…. Having watched him for three years in high school, then knowing he shattered frosh scoring records at SBU--before crippling knee injury on first day of practice as soph--I am confident this is true. I recall sitting in dorm room with others on 3rd Rob when he made miracle comeback from knee injury in early December vs. tough DePaul (or was it Xavier?) on the road and came off bench to score 26 pts in 28 minutes--a measure of his potential despite first knee injury. A week later I watched him go down with 2nd injury vs. Denver in the Aud, and that was the end of his superstar potential, though still a key player on 23-0 team.
Still holds record--far as I know--for points per game as WNY high schooler for all large school, highest-rated conferences. 29.5, I think.
A great guy to boot.
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Post by skeller6 on Dec 26, 2023 17:32:28 GMT -5
John Hayes is a definite all time Bona legend. As a freshman in the 1965-66 season John either led the nation in scoring or was second (his only competition was Lew Alcindor of UCLA). Remember he was a key part of the only team in Bona history to go undefeated !!
He holds all frosh scoring records, including single game scoring.
We pray for his full recovery.........St. Bonaventure bless him!!
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Post by Hermit on Dec 26, 2023 18:28:14 GMT -5
John Hayes is a definite all time Bona legend. As a freshman in the 1965-66 season John either led the nation in scoring or was second (his only competition was Lew Alcindor of UCLA). Remember he was a key part of the only team in Bona history to go undefeated !! He holds all frosh scoring records, including single game scoring. We pray for his full recovery.........St. Bonaventure bless him!! Alcindor averaged 33.2 points per game as a freshman John averaged 34.7…leading the nation |
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Post by bonnieswin on Dec 26, 2023 19:50:55 GMT -5
Just amazing to think how good we would have been if he hadn't hurt his knee. What a magical time that was. My mother suffered a bad stroke so I know what their family will be going through if he recovers. I will be praying for his recovery and his family! God bless John Hayes!
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Post by gregmitch70 on Dec 26, 2023 22:34:59 GMT -5
UPDATE tonight from his daughter Colleen:
##
We are overwhelmed with all the love, support and prayers for my Dad, John Hayes. He is truly loved by many…which doesn’t surprise me, because he is the friendliest, funniest, most caring person I have ever known!
He had an MRI today and it was confirmed that he definitely had a stroke (the prior tests performed were not definitive, but it was pretty obvious). It was determined to be a minor stroke, which resulted in some major damage/paralysis on his entire right side.
They were able to get him to sit up today for a bit. His speech is still impaired, but we can make out what he’s trying to say. He was able to eat some dinner, with help (which means he will hopefully not need a feeding tube). They are transferring him to a rehab facility within the next couple days to start some aggressive physical therapy. He is completely lucid and it appears that he still has all his memory and wits about him (anyone that knows him, knows how funny and witty he is, so that is certainly good news)!
These are all baby steps in the right direction, so keep the prayers coming and the encouraging words! It definitely helps, because he needs to have a positive attitude moving forward in order to make progress. Anybody that knows him knows that this is not going to be easy for him, because he is so used to always being busy. Not to mention, he is completely fed up with doctors and the process of getting old and slowing down some, so this will not be easy, but I have faith that all the love, support and prayers will be enough to change that!❤️
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Post by OceanStateBonnie on Dec 27, 2023 4:25:15 GMT -5
🙏Praying for a speedy recovery.
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Post by Padre Jud on Dec 27, 2023 7:38:01 GMT -5
Very sad to hear this today and very worried, have known him since high school and at Bonas and very good friends today, Iron Man 5 and Bona Hall of Famer. He still lives Niagara Falls and in Florida. Attended the Bona womens team game at NU just last month. Message from his daughter: Please say a prayer for my Dad, John Hayes. He suffered a stroke on Christmas Eve morning and is in the hospital not doing well. We are praying that he regains mobility and speech, but I’m worried that we have a long road ahead. I love you, Dad…you got this, I have faith that you can pull through!
Praying for John! |
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Post by ncbonnie69 on Dec 27, 2023 10:09:46 GMT -5
So sad to hear of John’s stroke. He has always been a larger than life figure. Growing up near Buffalo I followed John’s exploits through the Buffalo News. When I realized we were going to be classmates at Bonas I was ecstatic. He made the Frosh games at the Olean Armory “must-see” events. What he did to his freshman opponents was merciless. He was simply a magician with the ball around the lane. From our sophomore year on he and I roomed on Second Rob. I remember the devastation all over campus when he tore up his knee. I agree with Coach Weise that John would’ve been on the Mt Rushmore of Bona greats. In more recent times I had the opportunity to meet his wife, Linda, at her place of employment on Lockport Rd in Niagara Falls. Just a sweet, sweet person. Prayers are being said for John and his family that he defeats this obstacle just as he has so many in the past. Get well John!!!
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