Obituary of Trevor Anthony Hayles

                    Trevor Anthony Hayles was born on March 29, 1945 to Lanford Hayles and
Ruby Fairclough in Spanishtown, Jamaica. 

Although he spent his early years there and completed his high school education, he wanted to pursue higher education and
greater opportunity.  He joined his father, who had earlier immigrated to the
United States, in New York City in 1964.

     In New York, he worked and studied, earning a B.A. in Journalism and later
a Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law in 1982.

     In those same years, he met and married Elizabeth and with her raised two sons,
John Christopher and Robert Nicholas.

     Tony (or “Bonnie” as he was called by his extended family) was passionate
about the law.  He joined the Legal Aid Society of New York, concentrating on
criminal defense.  He later opened a private practice and, finally, became law
Secretary to several judges in the Civil Term of the Supreme Court of New York.
He did not stop there, however, for he found his true calling in providing
pro bono legal assistance and representation to hundreds of immigrants seeking
asylum and citizenship in the United States.  Sympathizing with their plight,
he took as his only payment, the knowledge that he helped often desperate
people find safety and a first step toward fulfilling their dreams.

     Tony was not all work, though.  He found gardening relieved the stress of work
and he happily shared the bounty of his garden with family, neighbors and
friends.  He was equally at home in the kitchen.  On many Sundays, he would
lovingly recreate the Caribbean dishes he learned from his grandmother, while
his favorite jazz played in the background.  And Tony never lost his love of
journalism.  He was an avid reader of newspapers, not only to keep abreast of
world affairs and local politics, but to delight in the solid argument, the
well chosen words and the beautifully constructed sentences.

     Tony’s generosity was legendary.  Any request for help, whatever the task,
elicited the same response, “I’ll be right there.”  He spent every Thanksgiving and
Christmas with Salvation Army volunteers serving meals to less fortunate
families.  He was a humble man who worked quietly in the background, never
seeking praise or recognition.  His advice was sought and valued because he
was wise and always counseled looking at possible consequences before
making any decision.

     Tony was a principled man; a thoughtful and attentive son; a patient and
nurturing father; a faithful and loving husband; a caring brother and a
trusted friend.

     Tony gave away so much of himself.  He lived his life like the chorus of the
hymn, “If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living shall not be in
vain.”

     Tony is survived by his wife Elizabeth, sons John and Robert, and
daughter-in-law Carol; brothers Terrence and Andrew Lynch; sisters
Meshell Lynch James, Yvonne Ross, Claudette Bramble, Dorothea Welsh,
Norma Downer and Carolyn Brown and a host of cousins and friends too
numerous to name.

To those of us who knew and loved him.
     may his memory be a blessing.