Clive T. Lay

Clive Thomas Lay Beloved husband, father, and granddad, avid camper, sailor, and traveler, Scout leader, and proud Kiwi. Born 15 September, 1951 in Tauranga, New Zealand, Clive departed on 22 December, 2024 to forever accompany his cherished dogs and best friends, Pudge, Hermit, Faol and Dax. Clive found his lifelong love and wife of 49 years, Frances Lay, in front of Buckingham Palace amidst one of his many trips and adventures. As newlyweds they lived first in Tauranga and then Auckland, NZ and finally settled in Colts Neck, NJ where together they raised their sons. He lived to explore the world and savored opportunities to relate with anyone crossing paths. Clive relished learning from others and sharing in their knowledge and experiences as much as recounting his own. Volkswagen campervans were a great passion and he traveled six continents in them. Clive rebuilt and even self-built multiple vans, but they were always a means by which to enjoy time with people and dogs and to find the beautiful parts of this world. He also rode motorbikes all over NZ, Europe and South/East Asia. He, Fran and Pudge restored and cruised their sailboat in Auckland, and had great times sailing with friends along the east coast of the US. A lifelong New Zealand supporter of Americas’ Cup yacht racing, musicians, All Blacks rugby, and the Olympics, he would keenly identify himself as a Kiwi and share his heritage and homeland with anyone caught in range. Clive squeezed a multitude of professions into his one life. He worked months-long field expeditions in undeveloped Pakistan and Algeria for Western Geophysical, then studied and graduated from Auckland Secondary Teachers' College. He taught for Onehunga College High School, instructing engineering and industrial arts including drafting, applied engineering, carpentry and metalworks. In NJ he supported his family as a master technician. A Sea Scout as a youth, he transferred his love for education to Scouting as a driving force for two-plus decades of the program in Monmouth County. Hundreds of young people enjoyed and experienced everything from camping, whitewater rafting, and hiking to traditional summer camp through Clive’s selfless dedication and unmatched labors. He designed and built many structures still used by Scouts at Forestburg and Quail Hill Camps. Many knew Clive from his dedicated singing with St. Mary’s contemporary choir and as a cantor. He treasured music, especially performed live and had played cornet in his school orchestra. He could often also be found working to compose a great photo, which he inherited and learned from his father, but like the campers and trips, it was the stories and memories that accompanied the slides and prints that he really adored. Clive is predeceased by his parents Thomas Lay of Hāwera, NZ and Florence Hilda Lay (née Nixon) of Kidsgrove, England. He is loved and missed by Fran and their three sons, Daniel Thomas and wife Jennifer, Andrew Clive, and Aaron Francis and wife Magdalena. His stories and legacy will be passed to his adored grandchildren Sebastian, Finnegan, Eleonora, Maximilian, Olivia, and Oakley. Clive is survived by his sisters, Cynthia Alexander of NZ and Daphne Searle and husband Peter of NZ and nieces and nephews. Please honor Clive’s love of dogs and animals by donating to support the Best Friends Animal Society Sanctuary at https://bestfriends.org/donate.

Clive T. Lay

September 15, 1951 - December 22, 2024