Obituary of Herbert Edward Lays
Herbert Edward Lays
It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of a husband, Dad, Grampy, great-Grampy, and friend. Herbert Edward Lays, fondly known as “Herb”, passed away on July 31, 2025 at age 86.
Born in Antigonish, he was the son of Alongo and Grace (Whitewood) Heighton, and the chosen son of Freeman and Ethel (Brown) Lays.
He has married the love of his life Rhoda on New Year’s Eve in 1957. They moved to Hopewell in 1969, where together they worked hard to make a house a home.
Herb was a machinist by trade. He worked at Trenton Works, Michelin, and Millwright Local 1178. He proudly owned his own business “Thistle Mechanical” in Hopewell for 9 years. There was nothing that he couldn’t repair or make. It was rare if Dad wasn’t working on something, always having an ongoing list of things to do. He had a passion for many hobbies. Never wasting a minute, you could find dad tending to his bees, carrying birds, tying flies, building furniture, evening panning for gold. He would also never miss an opportunity to go hunting or fishing.
Dad was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Stellarton. His deep-rooted faith allowed him to be strong and grounded for his family.
Herb was a devoted husband to Rhoda, his beautiful wife for 65 years. He was a father to his only son Herbie (Katie) Lays, and daughters Sharon (David) Mollins and Coleen (Jack) Russell. He was a brother to Thelma Walsh (Bill) of Toronto, Eleana Soloposki-Palmer of Toronto, and Marlene Ince of Stellarton. He was a Grampy to Sarah, Emily, Colby, David, and Natasha; and a great-Grampy to Jada, Autum, Perry, and Axell.
Besides his parents, he was predeceased by brothers Harold, Vernon, George, and Otto Heighton; and sisters Marie and Verna.
Goodbye Dad, our family will forever miss you. You will always live on in our hearts.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, August 3, from 1-4pm at Eagles Funeral Home in Westville. The funeral service will be held on Monday, August 4 at 11am from Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church with Fr. Ibeh presiding. Burial will be held in Lourdes Cemetery following the service. A reception will follow.
The family would like to express immense appreciation to our parents’ caregiver and guardian angel, Evelyn Lockhart, who made all of our lives much easier.
A special thank you to Dr. Erika Tratz; a special thank you to the doctor who looked after our Dad, Dr. Aldrebi; and all the palliative care team.
Donations may be made to Our Lady Of Lourdes CWL or a charity of choice.
