It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Asa Michael Hayes. Asa was born in Tillamook, Ore., on February 1, 1985 and passed away on May 15, 2025 in Portland, Ore., after a lifelong struggle with depression and autism. While the circumstances of his passing are tragic and incredibly heartbreaking, they surely don’t define who he was during his forty years of life.
Asa was known for his dry sense of humor, penchant for punchy one-liners and funny stories about his daily adventures and happenings in Portland. He never missed an opportunity to enter a conversation with a witty quip.
Asa was a talented artist, and as a child spent hours drawing intricate scenes of dragons, battleships, castles and other fantasy scenes from his imagination. In adulthood, his passion for art translated into avid video gaming. He enjoyed spending time with his three siblings, parents and extended family. You could often find him riding his bike throughout Portland, walking through Irvington neighborhood, listening to science fiction audio books, and trying out new flavorful recipes in the kitchen while never straying too far from his mom’s classics. New Orleans’ cuisine was a favorite (along with Tillamook ice cream), so much so that he and his sister, Maya and their friend, Sandra spent several hours on his 40th birthday making jambalaya.
He was a lover and observer of the great outdoors, and the beaches in Tillamook remained one of his favorite destinations throughout his life, often commenting that Tillamook was like a resort. He would often join his family on outdoor adventures and had a special eye for spotting and identifying different species of birds, and pointing them out to those around him, rivaling national geographic with his bird knowledge (or so he made you think).
He was survived by his loving family, parents Linda Martin and husband David Martin, Tim Hayes and wife Joan Hayes, brother Ian Hayes and wife Sama Hayes, Maya Hayes and partner Jake Yerke, Tahira Hayes and husband Dwayne White, and many extended family members near and far.
