A former Galesburg alderman, pet shop owner, and lover of animals has died.
Bill Hayes, 62, of Galesburg, died Sunday, May 3, 2026, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.
Hayes served as Galesburg’s Fifth Ward Alderman from 1995 to 1999 and went on to serve on the Galesburg Plan Commission from 1999 to 2002. He was also a longtime member of the Galesburg Kiwanis Club and a 33-year member of the Alpha Masonic Lodge #155.
In business, Hayes was perhaps best known locally as the owner of The Pet Stop in Galesburg, where he served the pet owners of the community. He also built a long career in sales, working for JC Penney, Coca Cola, and Walmart over the years, and retired after 23 years as territorial vice president of Straightshot Express, an expedited shipping company in Eldridge, Iowa.
Hayes was a member of First United Methodist Church, where he sang in the choir, in the men’s ensemble The Messengers, and with the Buchanan Community Chorus. He and his wife, Susan, raised and showed Beagles, and he treasured time with his daughter, Lindsey, and grandchildren, Audrey and Benjamin.
A visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 9, at Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral Directors and Cremation Services Galesburg Chapel. A memorial service will follow at noon.
Read the full obituary: Bill Hayes obituary
