In Loving Memory of Beth Hayes

Mary Elizabeth Hayes ("Beth") passed away peacefully at home on September 2nd, 2026. She was a loving wife, mother, step-mother, "Nana", sister, nurse, and friend. 

Beth was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, on August 25, 1956, and moved to nearby Dundas not long after, where she spent most of her childhood. She graduated from George Brown College with her nursing degree and spent the next 30-plus years helping others as an operating room nurse. After working at Toronto General Hospital for 10 years, she moved to Greensboro, North Carolina with her husband and three kids - Megan, Jeff, and Kate. She later spent 20 years caring for patients at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital. Beth thrived at work, where her compassionate side really shined through. She built lifelong friendships, many of whom were by her side in her final weeks.

Beth was an amazing mom. She was the heartbeat of her family - her children's happiest childhood memories are wrapped up in her. Megan, Jeff, and Kate will always remember her warmth, her spunk, her fun-loving spirit, and they are who they are today because she was their mom. 

Beth was an animal lover through and through. Knowing she could never say no to a new pet, her kids took full advantage. Their house became a revolving door of cats and dogs over the years and with each one came a silly nickname only she could’ve invented. 

Knowing Beth meant animal birthday cards, a new tea towel because she saw it and thought of you, and a home cooked meal waiting whenever you needed one. Her happy place was a crisp fall afternoon - laughing with a glass of wine in hand, football on TV, homemade Buffalo wings in the oven, and her family and pets by her side. 

In 2014, Beth scheduled an eye checkup after noticing some changes in her vision. That appointment led to a diagnosis of Ocular Melanoma and a difficult choice between two treatment options: radiation or enucleation. Beth made her first brave and difficult decision on her cancer journey by choosing enucleation. Fully aware of the challenges that losing vision in one eye would bring, she chose the path that offered the best chance at a healthy, cancer-free future. The operation was successful and Beth adjusted to her new "view" on life. 

In 2018, Beth faced another hurdle when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Though it was a discouraging setback, she met the challenge head-on. After undergoing surgery and radiation, Beth counted herself among the lucky ones - a resilient survivor of cancer, not once, but twice.

Beth's final chapter with cancer began in April 2026. While celebrating her favorite holiday, Easter, with her husband, children, and grandchildren in Wilmington, she knew something was wrong. She was struggling with nausea, fatigue, and abdominal pain. When she returned home, some urgent doctor’s appointments and scans confirmed her family's worst nightmare. Twelve years after her initial diagnosis, the ocular melanoma had returned as Stage IV metastatic disease in her liver, presenting as a tumor the size of a football. Her oncologists had always warned of a late recurrence, but after more than a decade, it felt like she should have been safe - though hindsight highlights the painful reality that no one is ever entirely safe from cancer. Instead of giving up, Beth prepared to fight this chapter head-on. Testing positive for the HLA-A*02:01 gene opened the door to weekly Kimmtrak treatments. Walking into her first infusion, she was understandably anxious, yet she still exuded hope, strength, and positivity. Mostly, she felt gratitude to be a candidate for one of the only treatment options that exists for metastatic ocular melanoma. Unfortunately, the treatments caused Cytokine release syndrome and landed her in the hospital for many nights after multiple treatments. Beth bravely fought through the weekly treatments and side effects for two months, with her devoted husband of 16 years, Paul, right by her side for every appointment and every sleepless, painful night. Her scans eventually showed that the Kimmtrak was working to slow her tumor's growth, but it was still expanding. Sadly, her body ultimately couldn't tolerate the treatments anymore, and her family found themselves back at the drawing board, searching for the next step. They explored every remaining option: surgery, liver-directed therapies, and combination immunotherapies. In the end, the only path forward was monthly Opdivo infusions. Though this treatment had limited proven efficacy for late-stage ocular melanoma, Beth refused to give up on her cancer battle and scheduled her infusions. During her first pre-infusion appointment, labs revealed dangerously high calcium levels in her blood and low magnesium levels. She was admitted for overnight surveillance following her first treatment, which turned into a multi-night hospital stay. Despite the setback, Beth’s spirits remained high and she remained hopeful.

Over the next two weeks, Beth's health deteriorated rapidly and her loved ones began to accept that her time on earth with them was ending. In her final days, she was surrounded by family and lifelong friends who loved her deeply and will always remember her compassion, her infectious laugh, and the way she was never afraid to be fiercely herself. Though she endured far more adversity than anyone should face in a lifetime, she never gave stopped fighting. Her family finds comfort in knowing she is finally resting in peace. 

We love you, Nana - rest easy and have fun <3.