Hayes Family Conflict Gives Way to ‘Hugs and Kisses'

A family dispute that reportedly flared up when the late Dallas Cowboys great Bob Hayes was elected to the Pro Hall of Fame wasn't apparent Friday at a business meeting to discuss the induction ceremony to be held later this year, according to a spokesman.
 
Hayes' second wife, Janice Hayes-Mohl, and son Bob Hayes Jr. were at the meeting, as were Lucille Hester and sister Georgette Sanders, who say they are Bob Hayes Sr.'s half-sisters.
 
Lucille Hester caused an uproar after the Jan. 31 election when she read what she said was a letter left with her by Hayes expressing his gratitude in the event he was voted into the Hall of Fame after his death. The letter is dated Oct. 29, 1999. He died in 2002.
 
Hester's assertion that she is Hayes' half-sister has been disputed by some family members, and the authenticity of the letter has been questioned, according to reports in The Dallas Morning News.
 
Hall of Fame spokesman Joe Horrigan said Hester is a blood relative of Hayes.
 
"Bob had two families, basically, from his father's side and his mother's side. They were not married to each other. Lucille is his stepsister on his father's side," Horrigan said Friday.
 
There was no visible rift between any members of the family at Friday's meeting, he said.
 
"They're all here, and they're all getting along just fine, enjoying each other's company," he said.
 
"They sat at the table with each other; hugs and kisses all around," Horrigan said.
 
Hayes-Mohl, Bob Hayes Jr., Hester and Sanders will be at Aloha Stadium on Sunday for the Pro Bowl, where a pre-game ceremony will be held to honor Bob Hayes Sr. and to the five other former football luminaries who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio.
 
Hayes won the 100-meter gold medal at the 1964 Olympics before going on to star for a decade with the Dallas Cowboys.