Keith G. Hay, 84 was born in Newton June 30, 1928 to Carl and Ethel Kendall Hay. He and his two brothers, Jack and Kendall grew up on the banks of Sand Creek. In high school Keith was in school plays, a snare drummer in band and lettered in football and pole-vaulting.
He married Charlotte Gagnon and in 1991 they moved to Newberg, Oreton where they designed and built their home atop Ribbon Ridge which became a gathering place for Keith and Charlotte's children and grandchildren. He attended Wentworth Military Academy and became a golden gloves boxer. He earned a B. A. in bioloogy at the University of Kansas. Upon graduation, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Ul.S. Army, serving two years during the Korean War. After that he earned a master's degree in wildlife management at Colorado State University.
He served 17 years as the first Conservation Director for the American Peteroleum Institute and received the American Motor's Conservation award for exceptional service.
He worked on developing the :"Pacific Greenway" from Portland to the coast. In 2011 he received the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation's Meritorious Achievement Award for his pioneering efforts in helping to finalize the trail in Oregon and his authorship of a guilde book, "The Lewis and Clark Columbia River Water Trail." He published over 150 pages and books on outdoor recreation wildlife biology, urban, ecology, natural resource management and energy/environmental problems.
Survivors; Wife, Charlotte of the home; her son, Dane; his brother, Jack and wife Fran; daughter, Jennifer Hay Preston; son-in-law Michael; grandson, Woodrow Clark Preston; son, Jonathan and granddaughter, Madison.
Graveside services will be at Greenwood Cemetery Saturday, June 2 2, 2013.
1928 - 2013 (84 years)