JOHNSTOWN, Colo. — For nearly a century, the Hays name has been tied to Johnstown’s history. This week, the community is remembering Richard Paul “Rick” Hays, a third-generation owner of Hays Market who helped carry his family’s small-town grocery business into a new era.
Hays died Monday, July 6, at North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, according to a memorial published through Young’s Funeral Home. Born Nov. 5, 1951, to Chet and Phyllis Hays in Greeley, Rick grew up in Johnstown, graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1969 and later attended Western State College and the University of Northern Colorado.
Much of his life remained closely connected to the family business his grandparents started decades before he was born.
A Johnstown Business Dating Back to 1929
According to the published history of Hays Market, the family’s Johnstown business began in 1929 when Thurman and Louisa Hays moved to Colorado from Indiana and purchased the grocery stock and men’s furnishings business of Blackenbush & Kinney. That purchase marked the beginning of Hays Mercantile, which sold groceries, clothing and other goods to the Johnstown community.
In 1931, Thurman and Louisa moved the business to the Parish building on lower Main Street and expanded its grocery and dry goods selection. Their son, Chet Hays, began working as a delivery boy at 13 and made deliveries in a Durant with the back seat removed, according to the company’s historical account.
The family business continued to evolve over the following decades. In 1958, Chet acquired a building on lower Parish Avenue, at the location now identified by Hays Market as Fitness Avenue, and the mercantile became Hays Market as the business placed a greater focus on groceries.
By the 1970s, Rick was working alongside his father. The Hays Market historical timeline identifies him as the third generation of the family to work in the business and notes that he served as a manager alongside Chet.
Carrying the Family Business Forward
Rick married Sally Avers on Aug. 22, 1971, and the couple had three sons — Ryan, Neal and Russell. Rick dedicated much of his adult life to Hays Market and took great pride in continuing the family business.
One of the most significant changes during Rick’s time with the company came in 1996, when the Hays family broke ground on a new store on Johnstown Center Drive. Hays Market’s history documents Chet, Rick and Ryan working together as the family prepared for construction of the new location. Ryan joined the business as its fourth generation that same year, followed by Neal in 1998 after graduating from the University of Wyoming and Russell in 2000 while completing a bachelor’s degree in business management at the University of Northern Colorado.
The family expanded again in 2001 with the opening of a second Hays Market in Berthoud. Rick later took comfort in knowing his sons were prepared to continue the family business when his health no longer allowed him to remain active in its daily operations, according to his public memorial.
The Hays family business has since reached a fifth generation. In 2023, Rick’s granddaughter Lauryn Hays graduated from Grand Canyon University and continued her role in the family business. According to Hays Market’s account of its history, Lauryn began helping at the store at age 10 by bagging ice, later worked as a cashier and eventually took on other roles within the company.
A Life Beyond the Grocery Store
Outside of Hays Market, Rick’s family remembered him as someone who enjoyed fishing, gardening, yard work and playing snooker. According to the memorial published by Young’s Funeral Home, he was also known among family and friends for his homemade green chile and salsa, prepared with vegetables from his own garden.
In later years, Rick enjoyed playing cribbage online, watching “Jeopardy!” and listening to audiobooks and music. He also closely followed his grandchildren and their sporting events. His family remembered him for his love of family, work ethic, faith, kindness and integrity.
In its public announcement of Rick’s death, Hays Market described him as a devoted husband and father whose dedication and hard work helped shape the family business.
“His legacy will long be remembered in his family and his community,” Hays Market wrote.
Rick is survived by his wife, Sally; sons Ryan, Neal and Russell and their families; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; his sisters and extended family, according to the Young’s Funeral Home memorial.
A Legacy Still Visible in Johnstown
Johnstown looks considerably different than it did when Thurman and Louisa Hays started their family business in 1929. The mercantile became a grocery market, the business changed locations and expanded, new generations stepped into leadership and a second store opened in Berthoud.
Nearly a century later, Hays Market remains a family-run business with deep roots in Johnstown. Rick’s place in that history was as a link between generations: he worked alongside his father, helped carry the business through the development of its current Johnstown store and saw his sons and granddaughter continue a business that began with his grandparents in 1929.
His legacy remains visible in a family business that, nearly a century after his grandparents arrived in Johnstown, continues into its fifth generation.
Rick’s Life Celebration will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, July 13, at Grace Community Church, 2033 W. South First Street in Johnstown, with a reception to follow. A private family inurnment will be held at Johnstown Cemetery, according to service information published through Young’s Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial contributions to the Glenn A. Jones, M.D. Memorial Library in honor of Rick’s lifelong love of reading. Condolences and memories may also be shared through Young’s Funeral Home.
