The Leo High School Family was saddened to learn of the death of Thomas Hayes ’99, who passed away on March 13, 2025, three days before his 44th birthday.
He is survived by his wife Veronica and three children.
Thomas was one of the most accomplished fighters to emerge from Leo’s storied boxing program, turning pro and compiling a 26-2 record as a heavyweight after an injury cut short his football career at Joliet Junior College. After retiring as a fighter, he opted to share his passion and expertise with aspiring young boxers and had more than 500 under his tutelage as Director of the Chicago Park District’s boxing program.
In fact, he was on his way to conduct a boxing class at the Celtic Boxing Club in Chicago’s Mount Greenwood neighborhood when he was stricken. His car veered off the road and struck a light pole and a cemetery fence. Results of an autopsy are pending, but it is believed he died from a brain aneurysm or a heart attack.
Thomas Walter Hayes was born on March 16, 1981 in Frankfurt, Germany, while his parents were on active military duty. He grew up on the South Side and graduated from St. Thaddeus Elementary School before moving on to Leo, where football, wrestling and boxing whet his appetite for contact sports.
Mike Joyce was Thomas’ boxing coach at Leo and later managed his professional career. A skilled trainer himself, Thomas found his greatest fulfillment in mentoring others, sharing his expertise and encouraging their personal growth, which he believed Leo had done for him.
Thomas spent 12 years with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office and attended night school at Chicago State University, earning a degree in criminal justice. He married Veronica Dotson, “the love of his life,” in 2012. They were blessed with three children: Thomas Jr., Carla, and Michael (Mikey). Thomas considered his family the greatest blessing in his life and he always prioritized their happiness and well being.