November 6, 1937 – August 17, 2026
John “Jack” Armand Hayes (1937–2026) passed away peacefully at age 88 in Gainesville, Florida, on Monday, August 17, 2026.
Jack was a devoted husband to his true love, Sally Anne (née Reynolds); a loving father to his son, John (Margaret); the eldest brother of Gay Cole (predeceased), Judy Robertson (née Hayes), and Lori Ann Power; and a proud grandfather to Heather Eve Hayes and J.T. Hayes.
Jack was born in Flin Flon, Manitoba, to John D. and Esther (née Crone-Hansen) Hayes, and spent much of his early childhood in Churchill, Man. Inspired by Churchill’s towering grain elevators and perhaps drawn to warmer climates, Jack pursued civil engineering and ultimately built a career in geotechnical engineering. Jack graduated from Queen’s with a Bachelor of Applied Science in 1960 and married the love of his life, Sally.
The young couple moved to Niagara Falls, Ont., where Jack began his professional career with A.G. Acres. After a year, he recognized the value of graduate study, and they moved to London, England, where he attended Imperial College and earned his D.I.C. in 1962. He later joined Raymond International and went to Liberia, West Africa, to oversee the soils work for a large earth dam project just outside Monrovia. There, he worked with Ralph Peck, who was serving as a consultant on the project. After two employment contracts in Africa, Jack and Sally, now with a young son, moved to Edmonton, Alta., where Jack joined R.M. Hardy. During this period, he met Ron Innes, a young contractor and inventor who founded MARL Technologies, and the two remained lifelong friends.
In 1966, the family relocated to Peterborough, Ont., where Jack founded Site Investigation Services in partnership with his Queen’s classmate, Robert Marttila. With a sustained interest in emerging technologies, Jack learned of the dilatometer developed by Silvano Marchetti. His efforts to secure the pursuit of opportunity to distribute the device in Canada introduced brought him to another lifelong friend, Dr. John H. Schmertmann. That association, together with David Crapps, Jorj Osterberg, and Charlie Guild, ultimately led to the formation of Loadtest Inc., whose mission was to bring Osterberg Cell technology to clients worldwide.
As president and co-founder of Loadtest Inc., Jack helped guide the introduction of this new technology following several years of sustained advocacy, a period he sometimes described as “preaching in the wilderness.” Under his leadership, the Gainesville, Florida-based company grew rapidly and eventually established offices in Singapore, Dubai, Seoul, and London. The O-cell was ultimately adopted in projects around the world and was further adapted for use with driven piles, including pipe and concrete piles, as well as augercast (ACIP) piles and micropiles. With the support and collaboration of the The International association of Foundation Drilling (ADSC) and the Deep Foundation Institute (DFI), Loadtest became a pioneering company in the deep foundation industry. Soon thereafter, the ADSC Quality Contractor of the Year Award and the Osterberg Lecture were established to recognize excellence and support the development of future leaders in the field.
While technology had a significant influence on deep foundation design and construction, Jack’s impact extended equally to his employees and colleagues throughout the industry. He was consistently willing to listen, consider issues carefully, and work through complex problems. He often observed that “problems were simply solutions waiting to happen.” Travis Parker, current ADSC President said, “It is impossible to quantify the impact Jack Hayes had on the advancement of deep foundations. His vision and ability to distill problems down into challenges with attainable solutions helped to move the needle for every present-day deep foundations contractor, whether they realize it or not.”
As a father, grandfather, engineer, and business leader, Jack was widely regarded as a gentleman and a scholar. He leaves a meaningful legacy to all who had the privilege of working with him, traveling with him, or sharing time with him on the golf course. He will be deeply missed, and may he rest in peace.
A small private ceremony for immediate family members will be held in early September, followed by a Celebration of Life on Saturday, November 14, in Gainesville, Florida. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jack’s name to either the DFI Educational Trust or the ADSC Industry Advancement Fund.
