Former Beacon Journal home writer Mary Beth Nord Breckenridge, who left the BJ to sell homes, started it all.

On August 9 she posted on Facebook:

“Ran into Tim Hayes today. He is in the process of selling his house and moving to Florida, where his sister lives. He looks great and said he's still riding his bike ‘somewhat.’ "

Well, that kick-started the search for Tim, who was part of the 2001 exodus when 500 years of BJ experience left the building. With all that investigative skill, we shouldn’t be surprised.

During the search for Tim (maybe they can make a movie along the lines of “The Search for Red October”?), BJ consumers writer Betty Lin-Fisher found out that Tim’s first name is Arthur.

“Tim, Tim, where Arthur thou?” became the rallying cry for former 44 E. Exchange Street occupants.

Betty added: “If you want to call him, John Olesky, it’s (330) 867-3198.”

I called but his Merriman Road phone was disconnected with no forwarding number available.

Former Reference Librarian Diane Lynch once crossed paths with Tim in the Tetons or Yellowstone (she wasn’t sure which). But we didn’t send anyone to search for Tim in either postcard-scenery wonders of nature.

Former BJ copy editor Charles Montague put out an APB . . . to Tim:

“Tim, if you read this (Facebook thread), once you get settled, give Mary Beth or Olesky your home address, phone and email so that some of your old friends and Copy Desk mates can pay you a friendly visit and buy lunch or dinner. Most of us do get to Florida from time to time.”

Well, as I found out later, Tim isn’t on Facebook, so that was a flare that he never saw.

Finally, Betty Lin-Fisher posted:

“ABJ Friends: I just spoke to Tim Hayes. After all of the discussion a few weeks ago, I decided to stop by his house on my way to work last week to see if he was there. I left him a note and asked him to call, if he wanted. He was in Florida meeting the movers when I stopped by, he said.

“He's doing great and, as Mary Beth reported already, he is moving to Jacksonville, Florida to be near his sister and a niece. His sister is in poor health and he has been wanting to move to Florida since he retired 16 years ago, but said it's time now. Plus, he used to have three nieces and his sister in four different cities and now at least his sister and niece are in Jacksonville, so they'll be nearby.

“He will rent a house and said he doesn't want to be a homeowner any more and worry about home maintenance. He may be leaving as early as this weekend since his belongings are already in Florida (he said he only moved one chair -- his recliner).

“His house sold within days and a lot quicker than he anticipated. He did not have a recent photo to share, but said it was OK to share his cell phone number 330-310-6571 and his email timhayes3009@gmail.com  for anyone who wants to catch up.”

Betty provided more background:

“Tim was on the copy desk when I first arrived at the Beacon in 1995. I have fond memories of his take-out orders to Jack Horner's, DaVinci's and Dontino's!”

Well, Betty must have given Tim my phone number because he called me. At last, the Search for Tim in August is over!

Tim laughed when I told him there was a Facebook posse trying to locate him. His response: “Where’s Waldo, huh?”

Tim said Sally, his only sibling, lives on Ponte Vedra Beach, which is 18 miles from downtown Jacksonville. His niece lives on Jacksonville Beach, just north of Ponte Vedra.

Tim’s apartment is in Jacksonville.

His address is:

10135 Gate Parkway N (as in North)

Apartment 510

Jacksonville, FL   32246

 “Between my home in Akron and my apartment in Jacksonville,” Tim said, “the only furniture I have is one recliner. It’s a comfortable recliner, though.”

Tim was in his Akron house when he called me, sitting, I'm guessing, in a recliner.

New furniture will be delivered to Tim’s apartment in Jacksonville on Thursday. The Akron house sale will close Monday or Tuesday, but Tim doesn’t have to be there for it. He’ll leave Ohio in a few days.

Tim said he made the move because “I don’t have family here” (in Ohio). Tim and Sally grew up in Cincinnati. He is single.

So, The Hunt for Tim in August is over. And you know how to track him down in his Florida apartment, or on the phone or via email.

Just don’t try to Facebook message him.

Tim was part of the 2001 BJ exodus when 510 years of BJ experience left the building in one day. He was a regular at the monthly BJ retirees lunches at Papa Joe’s in the Merriman Valley till that also died for lack of attendance because too many participants passed away.

He left Ol’ Blue Walls on the same day as sports columnist Tom Melody, chief artist Art Krummel, the copy desk’s Sandy Levenson, columnist Mickey Porter, Features Department editor Joan Rice, superb writer Bill Bierman, Reference Librarian Diane Lynch, copy editor George Davis (still hanging around as a part-time contributor), Metro reporters Bill Canterbury, Bob Hoiles and Dennis McEaneney, Mark Braykovich, reporter Barb Mudrak Galloway, columnist Steve Love, Jim Quinn, religion writer Laura Haferd and Terence Oliver.

And that, my readers, is the rest of the story.