Macaela J Bennett

The Republic | azcentral.com

Longtime Arizona rancher and politician John Upton Hays, 88, died last month after a two-year battle with brain cancer.

Hays grew up on his family's ranch in Peeple's Valley and spent much of his life there. His ranching background led him to defend Arizona’s agriculture industry throughout his political career.

Hays was elected to the Legislature in 1975 and served as a state senator until 1990. Afterward, Gov. Fife Symington appointed Hays to a post in his administration, and he served in Gov. Jane Hull's administration until 2000.

During his years in politics, Hays worked to strengthen the state's land-fraud laws, helped pass legislation to preserve groundwater, and saved ranchers billions of dollars through his work on a screwworm-eradication program.

'Renaissance cowboy'

Former colleagues described Hays as a “Renaissance cowboy” and "gentleman." But his sense of humor and diverse interests meant he defied easy stereotypes, they said.

He loved chocolate and hid his stash in a filing cabinet under "C," his wife, Mary Hays, said. He was also among the first Arizonans to support public radio because it meant he could listen to classical music.

Legislators who worked with him said Hays also stood out because he seldom took credit for his accomplishments, he was never angry, and he always put constituents’ concerns ahead of his own.

“He never looked for the spotlight, he just did his work,” said Becky Jordan, former Arizona state representative who first met Hays while working as his legislative intern. “He thought a lot more about the future of the state than his next election.”

Mary Hays agreed, saying he put his family and constituents above all else. “He never had that yearning for power,” she said.

Steward of land, state

Hays caught the politics bug early, starting in student government, said state Sen. Steve Pierce, a longtime ranching acquaintance who shared a desk with Hays in the Senate.

“He wanted to step in and help rural Arizona,” Pierce said. “Then people saw he was a good leader and encouraged and recruited him to continue. Very few people work in politics for the right reasons, and he was one of those that did. He was right for Arizona.”

Many attributed his effectiveness to his ability to unite people across political lines. Hays was a Republican, but Democrats looked to him as "the great compromiser," according to former state Sen. John Mawhinney.

“He was the perfect diplomat,” Mawhinney said. “He could work with either side, he put together excellent solutions to problems and he took none of the credit.”

Jordan said Hays' background in ranching gave him the tools to be an effective state leader.

During his time in politics, Hays would return home to his family’s ranch and work through his frustrations by gardening, Mary Hays said. He shared his love for the land with their children, teaching them gardening and ranching.

He remained steadfast in aiding the ranching community that first drew him into politics, she said.

“He was stubborn like all men,” Mary Hays said, “but he was extremely loyal.”

She said her husband’s aversion to taking credit for his work drove her crazy, saying he wouldn’t mention what he had done, much less brag about it. This attitude, she added, extended to how he handled his battle with cancer.

'One of life's riddles'

Hays was first diagnosed with lung cancer in 2014. It later metastasized to the left side of his brain. At first, chemotherapy kept the cancer at bay, and Mary said John felt few negative effects from the treatment and never complained about feeling poorly.

He kept up with daily work on the ranch, read books and followed politics.

After 18 months fighting the disease, John went in for treatment and his doctor told him the cancer had spread too far to continue treatment.

“This is one of life’s riddles, isn’t it.” John said to the doctor, according to his wife.

He died June 10.

“He never felt sorry for himself, ever,” Mary Hays said. “He just accepted that this is life.”

Mary Hays said one of the things she admired most about her husband was how he supported her passion for art. She said she has long painted and appreciated abstract art, but her husband never really understood it.

Still, he always attempted to share in her enthusiasm. He once attended on his own an exhibit of an artist Mary Hays admired, she said.

“He would look at my work and say, ‘I like the color harmony,’ when he had no idea what that meant. He just heard it somewhere,” Mary Hays said. "He really tried."

In addition to his wife, Mary, who continues to take care of their ranch in Prescott, Hays is survived by their three children: John Hays Jr., Jane Hays Surgent and Rebecca Hays Rovey.

Reach Macaela J. Bennett at mbennett@arizonarepublic.com and on Twitter @Macaela_.