Hilbert Hayslett

April 2, 1938 — August 5, 2025

This world became a bit poorer on August 5 when Hibbie Hayslett transitioned peacefully and in comfort to another realm and the stardust from whence he came. He was 87. Fifteen years earlier he made a vow when he learned he had prostate cancer. "I'm not going to be a cancer survivor," he said. "I'm going to be a cancer thriver!" And thrive, he did. He traveled across and up and down this country and toured other countries. He visited friends and relatives in other states, worked with civic organizations for good causes and was a regular at his grandchildren's athletic competitions and other activities. Hilbert Hunter Hayslett Jr., was born on April 2, 1938, in Marlinton, West Virginia, to Hilbert Hunter and Allie Marie Hayslett. Orphaned at an early age, Hibbie was raised in the loving family of his maternal grandparents, Minerva Jane and John Gilbert England, whom he revered and respected. His two youngest aunts, Lola and Margaret, became mother and sister figures to him. Jim Wyckoff, who also lost his father at an early age, became Hibbie's surrogate brother and closest friend for nearly 80 years. Throughout his childhood, Hibbie was cherished and held close by his mother's and his father's many siblings and cousins, cementing for him the value of family. When Hibbie married Jerrianne Redford in 1960, they learned that they had given each other the one thing they wanted most in the world. Hibbie was the place where Jerrianne belonged and together they created the family he longed for. They were true partners for 65 years, consistently making space for the fullness of their humanity and growth, supporting each other through personal and professional trials and achievements. Hibbie lived a joyful life with Jerrianne and their three children, Christopher, Carrianne and Chapen, who know how very fortunate they are to have been raised by this team, happy to share their father with all, and wishing everyone could benefit from his compassion, guidance and wisdom. Family, as a value central to Hibbie's being, was evident in the family he and Jerrianne made and nurtured, his deep ties to his mother's sisters, Lola and Margaret, his unending positive regard for his parents' extended family members, and in the close bond he developed with his brother-in-law, Robert Redford. Through a series of miracles and under the watchful eyes of numerous guardian angels, Hibbie excelled in high school, earned a college degree and became an officer in the U.S. Air Force. During the next 21 years, assignments took him to U.S. bases in several states and in Taiwan, Thailand and Iran. He retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1983 with numerous accommodations and awards. He then worked in county and city governments, continuing to distinguish himself with his colleagues and developing treasured connections with coworkers and officials. He served his community and the world as a member of Rotary International, holding several leadership positions and was recognized as a Paul Harris fellow. He also served as a griot at the American Black Holocaust Museum, where he embraced his lifelong passion for better understanding people and making the world a better place. Members of those organizations, along with the close friends and neighbors in South Milwaukee, extended Hibbie's sense of family and community. Deeply appreciating the scholarships that permitted him the benefit of a college education, he provided annual scholarships to graduating seniors of his alma mater, Randolph Macon College, in Ashland, Virginia. Being able to help others was one of his greatest joys. He was keenly aware of the profound difference the helping hands of others made in his life, and he felt compelled to try to reach out with his own helping hand. Even knowing this, those closest to him were struck by how often they stumbled upon, unbeknownst to them, his quiet acts of kindness and generosity. He celebrated with daughter Carrianne and son-in-law Tom Spaltholz the arrivals of their three children Ty, Allie and Clayton Spaltholz and with son Chapen and daughter-in-law Pamala May Palma the arrival of Magdalena Ruth Hayslett. He also delighted in the life his son Chris is building with Nancy Deising. Reveling in spending time with family, Hibbie called a day in which he connected with each of his children a "perfect day." He basked in family vacations and was a regular at his grandchildren's many sports events, for their academic achievements and their other milestone ceremonies. He saw Ty, Allie and Clay graduate from high school in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, attended Ty's college graduation at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, saw Allie off to Marquette University and Clay off to the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, and watched Maggie grow though her St. Genevieve Elementary School years and be entertained by her household's USC/UCLA rivalry. Hibbie's kindness, generosity and selflessness touched everyone who knew him. He was an exceptional human being and the finest person his family and many others have known. Family and friends will gather to honor Hibbie on Thursday, Aug. 14 at Molthen-Bell Funeral Home, 700 Milwaukee Avenue, South Milwaukee. Visitation will begin at 2 p.m., with a service at 4 p.m., followed by a dinner celebrating his life. Those who wish to remember Hibbie's kindness and generosity are, in lieu of flowers, invited to donate to the Hilbert Hunter Hayslett, Jr. Scholarship fund, Randolph Macon College, P.O. 5005, Ashland, Virginia, or online at https://www.rmc.edu/giving-to-rmc/give-now/ (select "Other" and enter "Hayslett Scholarship"). Contributions to this lasting legacy provide the kind of helping hand from which he benefitted and that he worked tirelessly to provide to others. Please see Randolph Macon College's recent profile of Hibbie at https://www.rmc.edu/news/donor-profile-the-gratitude-of-hibbie-hayslett-59/ .

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