Honoring
Alyssa Rae Hayek

Alyssa Rae Hayek, 55, passed away peacefully at home on August 29, 2026, in the arms of her husband, surrounded by love.

A fiercely independent and deeply curious soul, Alyssa lived a life about as close to the idea of a modern Renaissance woman as one could imagine. Born July 25, 1971, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, she grew up in Pottstown, deep in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. From childhood, she loved to learn and experience new things. She was a voracious reader (often reading dozens of books in a month), a life-long learner, enjoyed a wide variety of musical genres, and loved playing games (online and off) with family and friends.

During early college, Alyssa fell in love with Jason Hayek, “one of the best men I’ve ever met” (her words), and on April 16, 1992 they married, starting a family soon after. A whirlwind romance to some, theirs was a marriage marked by steadfast support and a shared commitment to keeping life full. This strong foundation gave her the opportunity to delve into any and every area her interests and talents took her, both in academia and beyond. Being the complex, imaginative, and open-minded person she was, Alyssa could have done anything she put her mind to, and refused to limit herself to only one interest.

As a young adult, Alyssa’s lifelong love of reading expanded into writing, particularly poetry. She became a published author and editor in several on- and offline publications, and shared this talent by teaching poetry. At the same time, her passion for the arts led her to continue to explore painting, drawing, and a variety of fiber arts. She became a master knitter, designed her own tattoo, and had some of her paintings displayed at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts.

Alyssa was also happy to give what she could of her time and talents for causes and groups that she cared about, from no-kill animal shelters and rescues to volunteering with the Virginia Home Education Association and other children’s/teen education programs. On top of everything else, she took on the monumental task of homeschooling her daughter in nearly every subject imaginable and helped found Renaissance School of the Arts, a homeschooling co-op in Virginia. Through it all, Alyssa was careful to set realistic boundaries to protect her time and sanity.

As passionate about enjoying life as she was about learning, Alyssa loved traveling (with a bucket list of places too numerous to check off) and experiencing various local cultures and art scenes. In addition to where she grew up, she was happy to have lived in (and tasted the different cuisines of) Montana, Texas, Virginia, and Florida.

Alyssa is survived by her husband, Jason Hayek; her daughter, Amanda Hayek (who “probably has an even higher IQ than mine”); her father, Glenn Harris (who “gave me a fairly complete lack of awareness of skin color”); her mother, Lynda Harris (who “gave me a huge dollop of common sense, something I believe we are not born with, but learn”); her younger brother, Ryan Harris; and her younger sister, Megan Hiltebeitel.

In lieu of flowers, we would appreciate donations be made in Alyssa’s memory to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. 

We also wish to express our gratitude and acknowledge Dr. Van den Bergh and the entire nursing staff at Florida Oncology & Hematology, who were incredibly supportive and fought with Alyssa long past the point most would have given up.

Alyssa Rae Hayek leaves behind a legacy of creative talent, endless curiosity, and deep love. She is deeply loved in return, and her humor and bright mind will be sorely missed.