On Monday, December 16, Sherrill Hayes, son of Ashtabula, Ohio, son of the Church, left his earthly life behind to join the great crowd of witnesses.
Born, 12/04/1932 to Hillary C Hayes and Leona Cummings, Sherrill (87) lived a full life and died peacefully in Anderson after a courageous fight with Alzheimer’s.
Sherrill is survived by his college sweetheart and wife, Phyllis (Fritzie) Hayes whom he married April 9, 1955 at West Court Street Church of God in Flint, Michigan. Sherrill dearly loved his family: Jeff and Karen Hayes (Winter Haven, Florida), Vici and Chuck Bryde (Eagle, Michigan), Jennifer and David Withrow (Hamilton, Ohio) and his six grandchildren (Nicole and Ben, Brittany and Andrew, Hayes, Camden, Eddilsson, Dulce) and two great grand children (Carson and Brooklyn).
He was preceded in death by his parents and four of his five siblings.
Sherrill was a factory worker, shoe salesman, licensed teacher, ordained minister, licensed social worker, executive leader, college professor, storyteller and friend. Sherrill earned a bachelors and master of divinity from Anderson College and the Anderson School of Theology, a master of arts in Ed Psych from Ball State University and the doctor of ministry from Drew University. Sherrill served as CE pastor in two Christian Churches and pastored 5 congregations of the Church of God: Kempton, Indiana, Greensburg, Indiana, Lima, Ohio, Flint, Michigan, and Lansing, Michigan. His career also included service as a college professor at Anderson College, where he helped start the early childhood program. Sherrill retired in 1998 after serving as the executive director of the Board of Christian Education of the Church of God for 10 years.
Post retirement, Sherrill served as an assistant to the president at Warner Southern College and was responsible for implementing and directing the first online degree program in ministry. He continued to teach several courses in the online program until 2013. Sherrill was known as a bridge builder, reconciler, an independent democrat, a liberal thinker; but the unifying label he treasured and wore most proudly was simply - A Child of God. While serving the Pennway Church of God in Lansing, MI, Sherrill chaired both the Great Lakes Holiness Association and the Michigan Council of Churches at the same time. Although he deeply loved the Church of God, which had shepherded him into life and faith, his ministry was also deeply impacted by the wider church and those brothers and sisters he met through his cooperative work with the Council of Churches. Sherrill attended Park Place Church of God and was a member of Civitan Club, Booster Club, and Phi Delta Kappa International.
Funeral services will be held at Park Place Church of God, 501 College Dr, Anderson at 11 a.m. on Monday December 23. Burial will follow at East Maplewood Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday December 22 at Rozelle-Johnson Funeral Service and one hour prior to the service at Park Place.
Memorial contributions may be given to the Hayes Scholarship Fund for seminary students at Anderson University, anderson.edu/give; Park Place Church of God, ppchog.org/donate; Gifts in tribute to Sherrill Hayes can also be made to the Mayo Clinic in support of Alzheimer's Research: https://philanthropy.mayoclinic.org/donatemc.
Post online condolences at www.rozelle-johnson.com.