Bart B Lay Jr

Bart B. Lay JR. died peacefully on December 23rd in Inverness, Florida at the age of 92.
Bart leaves his sons Bart B. Lay III of Gainesville, FL, Greg Lay of Madison, WV, daughter Pam Lay of Homosassa, FL, sister Doris “Chic” Ferrell of Little River, SC, five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father Rev. B.B. Lay Sr., mother Opal Wallace Lay, sister Wanda Watts, brothers Billy H. Lay and Cleo Lay and his beloved wife of 65 years, Gaynell “Pete” Lay, née Ferrell.
Born in Gordon, WV, Bart spent much of his life in Madison, WV and is an Army Veteran of WWII and member of the VFW.
He served as Sunday School Superintendent at the Gospel Center Tabernacle in West Madison, a church founded by his father. After retiring and moving to Florida, he became a member of the Hernando Church of the Nazarene and served on its Board of Directors.
A longtime member of the United Mine Workers of America, Bart held several positions in two local unions and ultimately served as president of both. He was also a founding member of the UMWA COMPAC, which is still dedicated to giving UMWA members a prominent voice in the elections process.
Bart had a long history with mineworkers’ health and safety beginning in the 1950s. After working 29 years both underground and on the surface in the coal industry, Bart became Deputy Director of the West Virginia Department of Mines in 1978. In 1985, he was appointed Director by Gov. Arch Moore, where he served the state until his retirement in 1991.
In 1992 the West Virginia Office of Miner’s Health, Safety and Training and the West Virginia Coal Association created the annual Bart B. Lay, Jr., Milestone Safety Award, the state’s top safety award for surface mines. WVMRA President Ben Green stated, “Nothing could be more fitting than naming this award for Bart Lay, who has overseen the greatest progress in coal mine safety in the history of West Virginia.”
He served as the President of both the WV and national chapters of the Holmes Safety Association. He was also a member of the West Virginia Mining Reclamation Association.
As a retiree in Florida, Bart remained a diehard Mountaineer fan. He was a beautiful whistler, could sing impressive bass harmonies in church groups and loved big bowls of soup beans with cornbread – fresh ramps when he could get them.
Services will be held January 3rd, 2020 at Hernando Church of Nazarene, in Hernando, FL. Viewing begins at 10:00 AM, services at 11:00. Interment will be at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida at 2:00 PM. Arrangements are under the direction of the Chas E. Davis Funeral Home with Crematory, Inverness, FL.