Robert Clyde Lay Jr.'s Obituary
If you were asked who Robert Clyde Lay, Jr, was, several descriptors would barely cover it: family man, dog lover, hard worker, active nature and wildlife lover, intellectually curious, eclectic movie and book reader, smart as a whip, teller of dad jokes, and much beloved by so many. One could say he came by these qualities and interests naturally, inheriting many from his late parents, Robert Lay, Sr, and Margaret Harrison, and late maternal grandparents, Dennis and Mattie Harrison of Blackshear, Georgia.
Bob was born on December 17, 1954 in Waycross, Georgia, near the Okefenokee Swamp, which he planned to explore after retirement. At a very young age, he lived briefly on his most favorite place in the world, Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, where, as a young man, he and his childhood friend, Mike Brown, camped, fished, surfed, and bird watched.
He and his sisters, Melinda and Anita, moved around North Florida until settling in Tallahassee in 1964, where his much loved and missed brother, the late Dennis Barden Lay, was born. After attending Kate Sullivan Elem, Cobb JHS, and graduating from Leon HS in 1973, Bob briefly worked on his grandparents’ farm and Publix in Tallahassee, before joining United Parcel Service as a driver in March,1978.
Bob and his wife, Sue Cavallo-Lay, met in Coonbottom in January of 1979, having been introduced by Bob’s dog, Corey, and Sue’s dog, Amber, and were married in June of 1980. They honeymooned in New England and settled down in Havana, having their daughter Kendra in May of 1982. He, Sue, and Kendra enjoyed gardening, watching birds in the backyard, kayaking on local rivers, visiting nearby beaches and biking. They took a camping trip every year to Mount Pisgah, North Carolina and loved to enjoy the arts and culture around the Asheville, NC area. Atlanta getaways were often, where they visited bookstores, museums and the funky shops of Five Points. Then, in June 2018, Bob welcomed his wonderful son-in-law, Ronnie Yocham, into the family when Kendra and he married.
Our Bob will be dearly, sorely, terribly missed by his human and furry family, friends, and Big Brown coworkers. He was always there for us for anything we asked of him and more. We are lost without him and know no one will ever replace him in our hearts.
The many family members who will miss you dearly, Bob, are: Sue-Cavallo Lay, Kendra Faith Lay, and husband, Ronnie Yocham, sister-and-brother-in-law, Sara Cavallo and the late Abraham Campbell, (who’s reggae jammin’ with Bob right now!,) and brother-and-sister-in-law Paul and Michelle Cavallo, Melinda Lay, Anita Rubarth-Lay and husband, Jim, nephew Quinton Ruby and wife, Sunny, and grandniece, Scarlet, nephew Liam Rubarth-Lay, cousin Brenda Harrison Davis and husband, Burt, his his late cousins, Fred and Julie Harrison, and cousin Susan Harrison.
For anyone who desires to do more in Bob's memory, please donate to Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge.
A celebration of his life will be held this Sunday, March 3rd from 1-4 pm at the “1908 Event Center” at 102 E 7th Ave, Havana, FL 32333 (in downtown Havana).
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