David LAY

LAY, David, of Weems,

died on October 20, 2011. Born January 25, 1931, David grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. A graduate of Groton School, David received his degree from Harvard College, where he was a member of the Lampoon. David was a career officer with the Central Intelligence Agency, specializing in East Asian political affairs. He, along with his family, was stationed for several years in the Far East. In the mid-1970s, David moved his family from Alexandria, Virginia, to the Northern Neck, where he opened Northern Neck Nurseries, specializing in azaleas and camellias. An avid plantsman, David was especially active in The Rhododendron Society and numerous other horticultural organizations. He was a bibliophile and an accomplished chess player. He recently celebrated his 80th birthday and his 50th wedding anniversary with family and friends. He loved long dinners with good wine, entertaining his family and friends with stories, always true and often embellished. David will be greatly missed by his wife of 52 years, Mary Lloyd Pollard; his son, Mark Phillips Lay and wife, Prentiss, and his two grandchildren, Caroline and Andrew Lay; his daughter, Martha Poole Lay and husband, Gary Race, and Gary's son Jeremy; his brother, Michael and wife, Elisabeth, their children and grandchildren; his brothers-in-law, John Garland Pollard III and wife, Kathleen, their children and grandchildren, and Albert Clarkson Pollard and wife, Mary Louisa, their children and grandchildren; and many friends. A memorial service is planned for Friday, November 11, 2011 at 10 a.m. at St. Mary's Whitechapel, Lancaster, Virginia.


This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.