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Contents:
In Memorium, Ant Hayes 1970-2011 (Jeff Renner)
Re: In Memorium, Ant Hayes 1970-2011 (Jeff Renner)
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Date: Wed, 4 May 2011 11:06:46 -0400
From: Jeff Renner <jsrenner at umich.edu>
Subject: In Memorium, Ant Hayes 1970-2011
All
It is with profound sadness that I write that Ant Hayes died Monday. He was a
long time contributor to HBD starting back in the 90's, always signing his name
as "Ant Hayes, Gauteng, South Africa."
He was a popular speakers at the Cincinnati and Minneapolis AHA conferences,
and was active in BJCP and in his local homebrew clubs, both in South Africa
and in the UK, where he moved to about six years ago.
Llewellyn van Rensburg phoned me from South Africa with the stunning news on
Monday. Apparently Ant had been suffering from deep depression and took his
own life. I know enough about suicide to understand that the person is so
desperate to end his pain that he cannot think of any other way than to end his
life, but Ant never seemed depressed. However, he hadn't answered emails from
me since December.
I first met Ant when he, Llewellyn, and the Wort Hog Brewers organized the
first BJCP exam outside of North America in 2003 and they flew me down to South
Africa to administer the exam. We had been email correspondents, and online
friends, for years before that, having "met" on HomeBrew digest. He and
Llewellyn each hosted me for part of my stay in Jo'burg. Ant was my roommate
at the two conferences, and my wife and I visited him and his family for two
days in the UK.
I am just stunned and can't imagine that such a bright light has been
extinguished.
Several of us AABGers drank a toast to Ant's memory at a local brewpub last
evening. I invite you to do the same. We must keep Ant alive in our hearts
since he couldn't bear to keep himself alive with us.
It is a wonderful hobby that brings so many of us together from all over the
globe, but it also opens us to having our hearts broken. I'll accept the
trade-off.
I will post separately several notes, the first from Jeremy Wallis of the Wort
Hog Brewers in Johannesburg. Llew's eulogy is beautiful and I can't add to it.
Jeff
- ---
Jeff Renner in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, jsrenner at umich.edu
"One never knows, do one?" Fats Waller, American Musician, 1904-1943
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 4 May 2011 11:07:47 -0400
From: Jeff Renner <jsrenner at umich.edu>
Subject: Re: In Memorium, Ant Hayes 1970-2011
Here are some notes from South Africa.
Jeff
-=-=-=-=-
Hi Jeff,
Many thanks for your kind words, Ant was indeed a great friend & brewer to so
many.
When you come to share the sad news with your communty that side, maybe some of
the links in the message below can be of use for pictures (this is a message
sent out to some 1800 people off our club website just now).
Keep well,
Jeremy,
- ------------------------------
Dear Brewers,
I am not even sure where to start, but I am emailing this evening to pass on
the sad news around the passing away (in the UK) of our long time brewing
friend Antony Hayes.
I cannot even believe the words I am typing, this is really such a shock. Ant
was one of our founder members at the Wort Hog Brewers and as the words below
from Llewellyn and Andy and the links thereafter show, he was a central and
very enthusiastic club member for all the years that we got to share his life.
He carried his love for his hobby around the world with him and is the only WHB
member I know of who presented a paper at an American Homebrewers Conference,
he started the BJCP exams and qualifications here in SA and more recently in
the UK (http://www.bjcp.org/index.php).
Ant was was one hell of a brewer, a great friend to so many of us and, most
importantly, loving husband to Leonora and dad to their twins. Our hearts go
out to his family both here and overseas and I offer condolences on behalf of
all his friends at the Wort Hogs, you're in our thoughts & prayers.
Below I include emails from Andy and Llewellyn, received earlier today.
Ant, we'll miss you buddy.
With love,
Jeremy.
- --------------------------------------------------------
WHB Member Andy Tasker, Ant's uncle, sent this message to the homebrewer's
email discussion group this evening :
Hi Brewers
I apologise for using this forum to convey bad news, but it is the quickest way
to contact all club members. Yesterday Ant Hayes passed away. Apparently Ant
had been suffering from deep depression and he took his own life. I do not
have more details at this stage.
For those of you who don't know Ant, he was a founder member of the WortHogs
and an inspiration to everyone he came in contact with. He initiated the BJCP
programme in our club and enthusiastically put in hours of work for the club
members. And for all of you who had the pleasure of knowing Ant you will
surely feel and know what a great loss this is.
To me he was a nephew, a close friend and a great brewer.
We can all mourn in our way, but I ask you all to raise a glass to celebrate
his life.
Thanks
Andy
- --------------------------------------------------------
Email from Lleweelyn jv Rensburg :
As you know, we have had very sad news. Ant Hayes died yesterday.
I met Ant at a Wort Hogs evening when we were still meeting in Rietfontein at
the thatched roof place. I was standing outside chatting to this lovely girl,
Leonora. She said her husband was in the hall there and he is also a brewer
and an actuary. What a coincidence! We became great friends.
We spent many a happy evening at his house, tasting and discussing things beer
related.
Do you remember the "Braaipap CAP"? And his relentless quest to make a clear
sorghum beer. He succeeded!
Ant talked me into doing the BJCP exams. At first I wasn't too keen. But he
persisted and he got Jeff Renner from the USA to come to South Africa and
oversee the exam.
Did we have fun evenings doing the studying. He would always have some mystery
beer that he sourced somewhere.
Ant and I both agreed that the BJCP exams were some of the most difficult exams
we had done in our lives.
We wrote the exams and Ant achieved the highest score in our group. With
enough experience points he would be a National Judge.
Ant's twins, Daniel and Nicola were born in 2003. Ant brewed two cases of
Barley wine to be stored for their 21st birthday.
Leonora and his kids were held up in their Bryanston home - this was a very
heavy blow to Ant.
We talked a lot about actuarial matters. Ant was a brilliant actuary we often
talked about difficult decisions and advice that he had to give his clients.
He always took the professional and correct route. I admired him for that.
Ant and his family moved to the UK. He left the Barley wines in my custody.
It is still in my cold room. He fetched a case a year or so ago.
Ant and I went to the American Homebrewers Conference in Cincinnati in 2009.
We visited Jeff Renner and stayed over at his place for a couple of days. We
had so much fun! Ant made two speeches at the conference. He had a bee in his
bonnet that the BJCP guidelines did not reflect the true character of English
Brown Ales. He specially flew in a couple of cases of various Brown Ales for
the attendees to sample and make up their own minds. He was one of the most
talked of speakers. We met all the great guns in the American home-brewing
scene - John Palmer, Randy Mosher, Gordon Strong, Al Boyce, David Houseman,
etc.
Ant started the London Amateur Brewers club. He recently held the first BJCP
exams in the UK.
I had the fortune to meet a lot of Ant's family - what great people!
Over the years I had learnt so much from Ant.
My heart is broken. I feel so sad for his family. I only hope that the great
memory of this great man will, over time, overshadow this sad time.
We have lost a great brewer, a great actuary and above all a great friend!
Ant, we are going to miss you!
Llew
- --------------------------------------------------------
A few links from our website :
Ant & fellow Wort Hogs with Charlie Papazian at Sun City
-
http://www.worthogbrewers.co.za/photo_gallery/charlie/charlie_pic_march_2001.ht
ml
Ant's Braai Pap Classic American Pilsner at Big Brew in 2001 :
- http://www.worthogbrewers.co.za/photo_gallery/pics_bigbrew_2001/index.html
The First Wort Hog Brewers Summer Beer Festival in 2001 :
- http://www.worthogbrewers.co.za/gallery/WHB-Summer-Beer-Festival-2001/aaw
At the 2001 SA National Homebrew Competition :
- http://www.worthogbrewers.co.za/photo_gallery/pics_30-aug-2001/photo010.html
At the 2002 SA National Homebrew Competition :
- http://www.worthogbrewers.co.za/events/sanhc_2002/pics/imagepages/image7.htm
Ant with his uncle, Andy, at the 2001 SBF :
- http://www.worthogbrewers.co.za/gallery/WHB-Summer-Beer-Festival-2001/abl
Shopping At Gil's brewery in Roodepoort :
-
http://www.worthogbrewers.co.za/photo_gallery/pics_20-march-2001/photo022.html
A very recent one in the UK after the BJCP exams - the story is on the front
page of the BJCP site at present :
- http://www.bjcp.org/index.php
------------------------------
End of HOMEBREW Digest #5834, 05/04/11
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