Hugh E. Hayes II of Monmouth Beach passed away peacefully Aug. 3, 2025, at Monmouth Medical Center after a brief illness. He was 63.
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Hugh and his family moved to Middletown in 1969, when he was seven. He was a 1980 graduate of Middletown High School South and a 1985 graduate of St. Leo College.
Hugh worked on the New York Cotton Exchange for several years while living in Hoboken. He later moved to Monmouth Beach and worked for the Monmouth County Park System at Shark River Golf Course until 2021.
Hugh was a loyal brother and a proud and beloved uncle. While he was a big sports fan, especially of the Giants, Yankees, Monmouth University basketball and Notre Dame football, his most passionate rooting interest was in the lives of his nieces and nephews, whom he loved dearly.
Hugh was an active “Friend of Bill” for the last 15 years, helping many of those he encountered on his path of recovery. He was a faithful and dependable dog sitter and had a special connection with Mugsie, Missy, Lulu and Ralph.
Hugh was predeceased by his parents, Michael R. and Phyllis K. Hayes. He is survived by his brothers, John Hayes and his wife Jane and Charles Hayes and his wife Diane, all of Fair Haven; nephew Jack Hayes, Navesink; niece Maggie Hayes, Brooklyn; nephew Michael Hayes, Manhattan; niece Emily Edler (John), Hoboken; and nephew Christopher Hayes, Manhattan.
Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25, at Thompson Memorial Home, 310 Broad St., Red Bank. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 11 a.m. Aug. 26 at the Church of the Nativity, 180 Ridge Road, Fair Haven. Burial services will be private.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the COPD Foundation or Monmouth County SPCA, in Hugh’s memory.
The article originally appeared in the August 7 – 13, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
