Hayes Lewis Ham

June 24, 1947 - June 8, 2021

Hayes Lewis Ham, 73 of Malone, Florida died Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.  He was born June 24, 1947 in Malone to Lewis Ham and Eula Mae Ham Dekle. He was a member of Friendship Baptist Church and served as a deacon for many years.  Hayes was known as the “Peppermint Man”, as it seemed that his pockets never ran out of peppermints. He was a member of the Malone Volunteer Fire Department for 28 years, and served as the department’s Chaplin. Hayes retired from Georgia-Pacific Paper Mill after working as a scalesman for 48 years.   Hayes was preceded in death by his father, Lewis Ham; mother, Eula Mae Ham Dekle; brother, C. W. Ham and sister, Mary Alice McDonald. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Shoemaker Ham; daughters, Kimberly King (Steven), Stephanie Ham (Monica); son, Marcus Ham (Karen); sister, Jean Huckaby and brother, George Dekle. He is also survived by all of his nieces and nephews who he loved dearly.  Funeral services will be 10 AM Friday, June 11, 2021 at Friendship Baptist Church with Danny Sumerlin and Ed Ham officiating. Internment will  follow in the church cemetery with James & Sikes Funeral Home Maddox Chapel directing. The family requests that friends and family wear masks and adhere to social distancing.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Friendship Baptist Church building fund.