Lawyer, businessman.
Born at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on 7 January 1925 to Maurice and Mina Hayes, he moved to Brandon with his parents in 1938. At the age of 17, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy, and after training, served for the duration of the Second World War in the North Atlantic theatre aboard HMCS Red Deer and HMCS Inch Arran. After the war, he returned to Brandon and completed high school. He then attended St. Paul’s College at Winnipeg and Manitoba Law School, from which he obtained an LLB degree in 1951.
After graduating and completing his articles, he established the firm of Morkin, Hayes, and Dobroworski and practised law with that Winnipeg firm for nearly 40 years. In 1964, he was appointed Queen’s Counsel. He joined Kleysen Transport Limited in 1990 as general counsel, in which position he remained until he retired in 1998. In addition to his law practice, he founded Polaris Leasing Company and was its President and principal shareholder for many years while it carried on an office equipment leasing business in Manitoba.
He was an avid outdoor sportsman and maintained a hunting lodge at Fisher Branch together with friends and family. He was also a keen birdwatcher and was eventually able to identify over 100 species on sight in the field. Later in life, he took up the sport of trap and skeet shooting and served as President of the Winnipeg Trap and Skeet Club for several years. His other interests included woodworking and making furniture, as well as the study of geography, military history, and genealogical research. With his wife Cecilia, he had two children.
He died at Winnipeg on 27 August 2005 and was buried in the St. Vital Cemetery.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 30 August 2005.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 15 January 2022
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
