Tom Hayes had many roles in his life, from his service in the military to work as a helicopter pilot fighting fires, but most people will remember him as a friend.
His father, Tim Hayes, of Orofino, said that Tom always had a smile on his face. His mother, Becky Hovey, of Lewiston, said that Tom joked a lot, often to cheer people up in tough situations. “He’d start cracking jokes and made everything light-hearted,” she said. “He had a huge smile and great green eyes.”
Tom, 41, of Post Falls, died July 21 in a helicopter crash while assisting firefighters in the Moose Fire, near Salmon, Idaho. Tom and another pilot, Jared Bird, 36, of Anchorage, Alaska, were flying CH-47D Series Chinook helicopters for ROTAK helicopter services, according to the Clearwater Tribune.
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