John Burton Hayes

John Burton Hayes was born March 21, 1938, in Wilburton, Oklahoma to John Ira and Lena Wood Hayes. He passed away just how he wanted – in charge of his exit – on November 24, 2025, at home in Edmond, Oklahoma.

John grew up in Wilburton with his older sister, Mary Nell. John was raised by a single mother (who was brilliant and accomplished in her own right) and a hose of doting aunts, cousins and a fiercely protective older sister in Mary Nell. When John was 12, he and Mary Nell were joined by little brother Leonard Ray “Buck” Hayes.

John and his posse of Latimer County brethren (Johnny Pate, Stanley “Goose” McCasland, cousin Duane Wood, just to name a few) were destined to leave their mark on the fabric of Southeastern Oklahoma...and leave their mark they did...sometimes there was fire involved, sometimes not….activities were “mostly” legal. The story goes that those boys had a LOT of fun. If you don’t know where Wilburton is, take Benton Selby’s sage advice and once you hit the highway, just keep a comin’ east.

From the beginning, John lived life with energy and determination. An all-sports athlete at Wilburton High School (home of the Diggers), he went on to attend Oklahoma A&M on a football scholarship, playing fullback for three seasons under the tutelage of the late great Coach Neill Armstrong. John’s time in Stillwater gave him not only an education but a brotherhood of lifelong friends who would be a pillar of his life.

Between school years, John hitchhiked to California to work at Disneyland and ended up doing that again the next summer...one of the many stories he loved to tell about a life lived full of adventure. After graduating from Oklahoma State and while working at the most magical place on earth, John applied and was accepted to the University of Southern California for law school. When he arrived for class, he quickly realized that the tuition costs were far beyond his reach. He borrowed just enough money (thanks Uncle Tony and Aunt Lou) to get back home where he convinced the University of Oklahoma to admit him into their already-in-session law class. John graduated from OU Law as a member of Order of the Coif and Phi Delta Phi. Although he remained LOYAL AND TRUE (to OSU) FOR LIFE, John’s time at OU brought one undeniable blessing: Ann McPherson. The two were married on November 18, 1962, in Fort Smith, Arkansas. From that moment on, Ann was joyfully adopted into the Cowboy Family, LOYAL AND TRUE FOR LIFE.

John and Ann began their married life in Oklahoma City raising two children, John McPherson (John Mac aka Johnny Mac) and Melinda Ann. Both also attended Oklahoma State University and were branded LOYAL AND TRUE FOR LIFE. Both also became lawyers (seemed like the right thing to do at the time). The family settled in Edmond in 1979 after a few MacAllans became a full-on house swap with a client. John followed through with that deal and remained in that house until the day that he left this earthly world behind to hang with Jesus and his posse (see above). Truth be told, you can take the boy out of Latimer County, but you can’t take Latimer County out of the boy (see asphalt reference below).

John practiced law for over 60 years, forming lasting friendships with many of the clients he served. He spent the first half of his career with the law firm of Looney, Nichols, Johnson, & Hayes and later went on to form Hayes, Magrini, & Gatewood, a firm that remains in existence today. John may have left the building, but the tenants of 1220 N. Walker will tell you that the spirit of John B. Hayes very much remains. For much of his career, John was regarded as one of the leading experts in the fields of both Fidelity & Surety and commercial construction law. In addition, he practiced a considerable amount of professional liability defense, vigorously representing other professionals (lawyers, architects, engineers) such as himself. John traveled the country as a keynote speaker for professional conferences within his specialty, always grateful for the colleagues he met along the way. In turn, they appreciated his knowledge always laced with the right amount of humor. Who can ever forget the personal account of his early education on the definition of “asphalt” or how the angel ended up on top of the Christmas tree. The family believes John intentionally left us during the holiday season so this last story could be repeated ad nauseum in his absence. If you spot Santa out and about in the next few weeks, you might simply want to refrain from asking.

A proud OSU alumnus John rarely missed an opportunity to support the Cowboys. He attended nearly every sporting event imaginable and never stopped giving back to the university that had given so much to him. LOYAL AND TRUE FOR LIFE.

John lived 87 years full of stories, experiences, friendships, and purpose but above all his accomplishments, his greatest joy came in his children and the five grandchildren. He delighted in teaching them about the world, whether they listened or not, and always did everything in his power to help make their dreams come true. He passed down to every single one of them a deep love for Oklahoma State University and all things Cowboy. We are all LOYAL AND TRUE FOR LIFE.

John is preceded in death by his parents, John Ira and Lena Wood Hayes; stepmother Marie Hayes; sister Mary Nell Shero; and many dear family members and friends. He is survived by his wife Ann McPherson Hayes; son, John Mac Hayes of Tulsa; daughter Melinda O’Brien and husband Sean of Edmond; grandchildren: Hannah May Felder of Hobart, John David Felder and wife Karrington of Oklahoma City, Hayes Felder of Los Angeles, Jess O’Brien of Edmond and Katherine Ann O’Brien of Edmond; and brother Buck Hayes of Rogers, Arkansas. Along with his immediate family John is survived by his nieces and nephews, numerous cousins, as well as extended family and friends all of whom he cherished.

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to the caretakers and friends who showed John such grace and compassion over the past year. Your kindness will never be forgotten.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift in John’s name to the Cowboy Code campaign. The Code Calls, Will you answer?

Or to the American Brain Foundation’s Cure One, Cure Many campaign. Dementia sucks.

Visitation will be 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 3rd, at Matthews Funeral Home.

Services will be held Thursday, December 4th, 2025, beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, 13112 N Rockwell Ave #2700, Oklahoma City, OK 73142. Dress code suggested is anything OSU or orange!