| Overall UK Wins: 1 | Overall UK Losses: 0 | Win % 100 |
Date of Birth: August 9, 1915
Date of Death: May 19, 2010
Hometown: Lakeland, FL
Alma Mater: Florida Southern College
For a generalized listing of officials, please consult this page.
| Date | Matchup | W/L | Score | UK Fouls | Opp Fouls | UK FTA | Opp FTA | UK DQ | Opp DQ | Technicals | Officiating Crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/28/1957 | Kentucky at Georgia Tech | W | 76 - 65 | 19 | 17 | 31 | 37 | 2 | 1 | - | Referee - Floyd Lay and Umpire - Dave Scobey |
Obituary - Lakeland (FL) Ledger (May 20, 2010)
Athlete, Coach, Advocate for Youth Sports Lived 'Wonderful Life'
by Tom Zebold (The Ledger)
LAKELAND | Brilliant, professional, tireless and a man filled with integrity.
That's how some of Floyd Lay's family, friends and colleagues described the former executive secretary of the Florida High School Activities Association (FHSAA), who died of natural causes Wednesday at The Estates at Carpenters retirement community in Lakeland. He was 94.
"I just think he had a wonderful life," said Sharon Perdue, one of Lay's two daughters. "He was fulfilled and had a world of experiences with all of his associations."
Lay, who died with his family at his side, certainly didn't let his days go to waste.
Born August 9, 1915, Floyrd Edwin Lay moved to Lakeland with his family when he was 9.
At Lakeland High School, he earned four varsity letters in baseball and three in basketball while serving as a captain on both teams before graduating in 1933.
Lay went on to earn undergraduate and master's degrees at Florida Southern in 1941, he became the head baseball and basketball coach and assistant football coach at DeSoto County High School in Arcadia before serving as a captain in the Army Air Corps in the combat intelligence division during World War II.
"He absolutely loved his work, and so the workday was not work, it was enjoyment for him," Perdue said. "Those 18-hour days were normal and he'd never think twice of them."
FHSAA Leader
Many of those days were logged in as a staff member of the FHSAA, which Lay began working for in 1956 as director of field services after spending several years in the Polk County school system.
Lay became the FHSAA's executive secretary, the association's top position, in 1963, succeeding Lafayette Golden. Lay held the position until he retired in 1980. He made an impact on Polk County by being an instrumental figure in bringing the state high school basketball tournament to Lakeland in 1976. Lakeland began hosting the event in 1977. Throughout his career at the FHSAA, Lay was known as "The Book," because of his ability to enforce and recite the rules of high school athletics.
"He was one of the most brilliant minds when it came to knowing the rules," said former Kathleen High School Principal Willie Speed, who served on the FHSAA board with Lay in the 1970s.
To say that Lay earned the respect of his peers during his time at the FHSAA could be taken as an understatement.
"He ran the association the way it needed to be run," said Don Bridges, Polk County's director of athletics. "He expected coaches and principals to follow the rules. If you didn't follow the rules, then he dealt with you."
Tireless, Fair
When dealing with issues, Lay earned the reputation of being straightforward and professional.
"He was tireless and was a real fair man," said Lay's daughter Sandra Bowden. "It didn't matter what school - how big a school it was or how small a school it was - everyone was treated fairly and that's how sports should be and is."
Coaches would agree. "He's as honest as any man could possibly be," former Kathleen, Winter Haven and Lake Gibson football coach Tom Atwell told the Ledger in a 1983 story on Lay.
Lay's strict enforcement of the rules was never personal. It was an indication of his priorities being in line.
"He valued the way in which the student-athlete was looked at as a student first and an athlete with lifelong experiences second," Perdue said.
Lay's impact on athletics wasn't solely made while he was with the FHSAA. He served on the executive committee of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) from 1972-76 and was the president for his last two years. The multidimensional Lay was a member of two NFHS rules committees during his time with the association.
Lay was also an active member of the U.S. Olympic Basketball Committee from 1964-80 and served as a vice chairman from 1972-80.
Lay's athletic achievements and hefty resume helped earn him a place in seven different Halls of Fame - Florida High School Athletic Association, Lakeland High, Florida Southern, National High School Sports, Florida Sports, Polk County Schools and Polk County Sports Halls of Fame.
The FHSAA's Floyd E. Lay Sunshine Cup All-Sports Awards program is named in his honor.
Lay retired from the FHSAA in 1980 and he and his wife Laretha moved back to Lakeland in 1982. After he retired, Lay was named commissioner emeritus of the FHSAA.
A plethora of work aside, Lay's daughters remember him as being a dedicated family man.
"Our father was one of those dad you could always count on," Perdue said.
Lay died in a town his family calls home and the memories he's passed on will last long after his private funeral service in Lakeland has been completed Friday.
"He's had a long, long full life," Bowden said.
Along with wife of 68 years and his two daughters, Lay is survived by his son, Jim Lay; and grandchildren Deborah Bowden-Fulton, Rob Bowden, Lindsey Perdue and Michael Perdue. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a contribution be made to any charity.
