Frederick Whiting Hays

Frederick Whiting Hays, a dedicated surgeon who served his country in Vietnam and practiced medicine for more than four decades, passed away on November 7, 2025 in Concord, MA, at the age of 91.

Born on June 19, 1934, in New York City—the son of William H. Hays, Jr. and Elizabeth St. John Whiting Hays—he grew up in Greenwich, CT, and attended St. Paul's School in Concord, NH. After graduating from Yale University, he received his medical degree from New York Medical College in 1960.

In 1958, he met Helen Davis Hibbard of Milton, MA, and they married five years later.

He completed seven years of residency training in both general and thoracic surgery at San Francisco Hospital, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, and New York Medical College's Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospitals. As a reward for this accomplishment, he was drafted into the U.S. Army on July 28, 1967.

Dr. Hays served from 1967 to 1969, completing basic training at Fort Sam Houston before deploying to Vietnam with the 18th Surgical Hospital in Quang Tri. He served during the first Tet Offensive and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service from March to October 1968. He was discharged with the rank of Major.

Following his military service, Dr. Hays settled with his family in Concord, MA, where he pursued a distinguished career as a surgeon until his retirement in 2013. He was immensely, if privately, proud of his work in medicine.

He took great pleasure in spending time with his family, and they traveled often, including adventures in Montana, Italy, Scotland, and Alaska. Closer to home, he loved relaxing at the family’s seaside home in Little Compton, Rhode Island.

A lifelong fly fisherman, Dr. Hays made annual pilgrimages—accompanied by his children and grandchildren—to Maine’s Rapid River to catch native brook trout and landlocked salmon. These trips were less about the number of fish and more about spending time together in nature.

In his later years, he loved nothing more than watching his grandchildren grow and swim in his pool, as his own kids had done.

His beloved wife, Helen, passed away in 2010, and Dr. Hays remained in Concord until his death.

He is survived by his daughter, Daphne Davis Hays of Woburn, MA; his sons, Frederick (Suzanne) Whiting Hays, Jr. of Harvard, MA, and William (Penny) Sanders Hays of New York City, NY; and his grandchildren—Samuel, Ben, Henry, and Avery Hays.

Services to be announced.

Arrangements under the care of Concord Funeral Home, 74 Belknap St., Concord, MA 01742  978-369-3388 www.concordfuneral.com