Loyal Laverne Lay, 74, son of Vester E. Lay and Eula Faye Dunivin Lay, was born May 17, 1933, on a farm at Solo. He died Oct. 15, 2007, at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Okla.
His family moved to Dallas County, Iowa, in 1935 and back to Texas County in 1945. He graduated from Cabool High School in 1950 and attended Central Missouri State University and Southwest Missouri State University.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1952 and served on the light cruiser USS Manchester during the Korean War. The Manchester bombarded the Korean coastline and served with Task Force 77. He was decorated for his service on the Manchester.
After the Korean War, he was transferred to Naval Station in Guam, where he served for 18 months. He was transferred to the heavy cruiser USS Los Angeles and later served two years at the U.S. Naval Air Station at Olathe, Kan.
Mr. Lay was manager of operations of a consulting engineering company in Gardner Kan., for 20 years. He was chief executive officer and general manager of a land line and cellular telephone company. He was instrumental in establishing cellular telephone systems in Kansas.
He attended in the Arrow Heights Baptist Church at Broken Arrow, Okla., was an eight-year member and past president of the Unified School District 231 at Gardner, Kan.; member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10887 at Broken Arrow; member of the Broken Arrow Masonic Lodge No. 243, past 32nd degree Scottish Rite, served on the board of directors of Johnson County Rural Water District No. 7; Johnson County Alcohol Control Board, board of directors of Gardner Hospital and Nursing Home and board of directors of Kansas State Independent Telephone Association and Kansas Cellular.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Surviving are his wife of 53 years, Helen LaVonne Fulk Lay of the home; daughters, Marcia Elaine McKay of Sioux City, Iowa, and Judy Ann McCarter of Broken Arrow, Okla.; sisters, Loyce Lantz of Ballwin, Joyce Parmenter of Gray Summit, Beverly Matherly of Cabool and Karen McLain of Gunter, Texas; and three grandchildren.
Graveside services with full military honors and Masonic rites are 2 o’clock Friday at the Ozark Cemetery with the Rev. Norman Orr officiating under the direction of Evans Funeral Home of Houston.
Memorials may be made to the Kidney Klassic Foundation, P.O. Box 140591, Broken Arrow, Okla. 74014.
