I learned on October 6 that Marty Hayes had passed in his sleep the night before. Marty and I had been close friends and co-instructors for some 35 years.
There is much to say about this good man. Street cop for many years, from patrolman to chief law enforcement officer. One of the all-time great modern armed self-defense instructors, and founder of the Firearms Academy of Seattle. A champion shooter, and I had the honor of being there on the same range when he won some of those titles. An expert witness for the courts since 1990, Marty’s testimony helped keep countless good people who had defended themselves out of prison and out of the poorhouse. Perhaps his most memorable accomplishment was literally creating an industry, that of post-self-defense support for law-abiding private citizens.
Having seen the exorbitant, sometimes bankrupting cost of defending oneself in court after having done so in the street, he went through law school and then created the Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network, a non-insurance support group for members charged or sued after defending themselves. I was proud to serve from the beginning on their advisory board, which included lawyers and great instructors like John Farnam, Tom Givens, Manny Kapelsohn, Karl Rehn, Dennis Tueller and more. ACLDN helped thirty-some people through such crises. The model was widely copied by others.
Marty had just reached his early seventies. He had sold the Firearms Academy of Seattle to his protégé Belle McCormack, who has done an excellent job of running it with her capable staff and still hosts me and other outside instructors. Then he segued out of the expert witness field, working only as head of ACLDN. Finally, this past summer, he transferred ACLDN to CCW Safe, which promises to carry on its solid tradition. He was in the process of building his dream house on a waterfront in Idaho to be near his ninety-something mom when he unexpectedly passed, all too soon.
He leaves a loving family and of course his wonderful wife Gila, a highly accomplished shooter and writer in her own right. He also leaves a great legacy.
He had just recently come out of retirement to teach a revolver class, something he loved. He was making another retirement exception: he and I co-taught a Deadly Force Instructor class once or twice a year, an idea I owe to Marty. I’ll keep on doing them, but without Marty Hayes, I won’t have as much fun doing it.
Rest in peace and in pride, Brother Marty.
addendum:
Marty was a big man in every sense of the word. What many didn’t realize was the depth of his warmth and generosity. I knew Marty for over twenty years—less time than Mas, but long enough to witness countless quiet acts of kindness.
He never did these things because he had to, or for recognition, or to call attention to himself. Marty simply had a generous heart and an unshakable sense of what was right.
I won’t list those many good deeds here—Marty wouldn’t have wanted that—but I can say with certainty that there are a lot of people whose lives are better because of him.
He will be sorely missed.
E.P.