Our beloved Daddy, Paw Paw Ed, brother, and friend went to be with the Lord, his parents, and brothers on March 24, 2011. He was born October 7, 1928, in Wheeler, Texas to Effie Ruth Miller Hayhurst and William Preston Bumpas Hayhurst.  He was a proud brother to Woody, Billie Ruth, Wesley, and Dale.

Eddie and his family moved to Menard, Texas as a youngster where he made lifelong friends and enjoyed the country lifestyle that stayed with him his entire life. He loved sports and was on the high school boxing, football, basketball and track teams.

Graduating from Menard High School in 1946, he then went on to enlist in the Air Force and was a Staff Sergeant while serving as an aviation mechanic.  He met Merle Carson in late 1951 and the two were married shortly after in June 1952.  In 1958, Eddie graduated from Lamar University with a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering. 

They moved to Seattle, Washington in 1959 where Eddie worked for Boeing.  Merle and Eddie started a family in 1961 and over the next nine years five children came into their lives; Jim, Philip, Randy, Les, and Kathy.  His engineering career brought him to Dallas, Orlando, League City/Houston, Greenville, and finally Moore, Oklahoma where he retired from Boeing after working on the Space Shuttle and Air Force One.  He retired initially in Hempstead, Texas with his second wife, Bea, until she passed away in 2005 and then he moved to Beaumont to be closer to his family.

As an avid gardener, you could always count on a garden filled with okra and tomatoes that he graciously shared with his family, friends and neighbors.  Eddie loved being a Paw Paw to his thirteen grandkids, and three great grandchildren.  He was always open to any good jokes and stories you had to share.

Survivors include his children, Jim Hayhurst and his wife Jewel, Philip Hayhurst and his wife Dijeanait, Randy Hayhurst and his wife Megan, Les Hayhurst and his wife Denise, and Kathy Lowe and her husband Craig; grandchildren, James, Cherith, Melody, Noah, Toby, Taylor, Lacey, Trent, Garrison, Brooke, Paige, Ashley, and Chad; great-grandchildren, Asher, Jaidyn, and Jaxon ; sister, Billie Ruth Brownfield; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

His memorial service will be 3:00 p.m. Sunday, March 27, 2011, at Broussard’s, 1605 N. Major Drive, Beaumont.