Eric Alexander Hayes, 48, of Appleton, WI, passed away surrounded by family and loved ones on Thursday, March 10th from a long-fought battle with brain cancer. Eric was born in Long Beach, California on January 1st, 1974 to Ross Hayes and Michell (Amico) Peterson. When Eric was young, his mom and him relocated to Green Bay, WI, where he spent most of his life. He attended Green Bay East High School and graduated in 1992. After high school, he attended Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and earned his degree in Electro-mechanics. While studying at NWTC, he also met the love of his life, Mollie (Rothe) Hayes, and they were married at Heritage Hill on April 22, 2000. His entire career was spent in the paper industry, building machines, installing machines, and creating training programs for machines. He was a hard worker and well-loved by his colleagues who remember him always being willing to help or making them laugh. In the few moments when he wasn't working or spending time with his beloved family, he loved to work on his pride and joy, a 1971 GMC C-10. Friends and family knew they could always count on him to get something working, if he couldn't fix it, no one could. He also had a love of music, teaching himself to play guitar and playing in a band with his friends. While Eric was good with machines and music, nothing beats his abilities to be a great father. He supported his three sons in every way he could. He was a Boy Scout leader, and sports coach. When he wasn't coaching, he was in the stands as their biggest fan. He loved supporting them at any sort of event, sports, concerts, and anything else they accomplished. His sons knew they could count on him to help them with homework, advice, or a winning pinewood derby car. They will remember him as a loving father who was always there for them, no matter what. Eric is preceded in death by his grandparents, Valentine & Joan (Glading) Amico, James & Ellen (Durden) Hayes, Harlow & Audrey (Kollman) Peterson, his brother Matthew Kellner, his brother-in-law Shaun Davis, and his uncle Fred Hayes. He is survived by his wife, Mollie (Rothe) Hayes; his three sons, Alexander (Zander), Austin, and Tanner Hayes; his mother Michell (Larry) Peterson; his father Ross (Teresa) Hayes; his parents in-law Craig (Jane) Rothe; his siblings Angela (Jamie) Wotruba, Christina Peterson, Larry (Susan) Peterson, Justin Hayes, Jonni (Ryan) Dado; his sister-in-law Melissa (Bill) Darrah; his brother-in-law Jesse (Shelby) Rothe and many more nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins who loved him dearly. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him, and his infectious laugh will be remembered fondly by everyone he knew, particularly his long-time best friend, Scott Devillers. A special thanks from Eric's family and friends to Unity Hospice for helping to support Eric and those around him during the last few months. Family and friends are invited to gather in remembrance at Ryan Funeral Home on Thursday, March 17th from 2-6 PM with a service to follow at 6 PM.