Mr. Lay was born Dec. 24, 1929, in East Prairie, Mo. He was a senior master sergeant for the U.S. Air Force, retiring in 1971. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean and Vietnam wars.

He was preceded in death by four brothers, Robert, Joe, Leroy and James; three sisters, Janie, Kathleen and Fannie; and his parents, Robert Lee and Fannie Arrington Lay.

Survivors include his wife, Frances, of Salina; a son, Tom Dick of Salina; two daughters, Sue Base and husband Gary of Niles and Jacque Lay of Salina; two brothers, Sidney and wife Imgard of Monclair, Calif., and Charles of Cucamonga, Calif.; a sister, Vivian Chaffin of Las Cruces, N.M.; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Ryan Mortuary, 137 N. Eighth, Salina 67401. Burial will be in Gypsum Hill Cemetery, Salina.

Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association.

The family will receive friends from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the mortuary.