Dr. Ernest Clayton Bay Ernie, age 86, died peacefully on March 18, 2016 after complications from a sudden stroke. Friends and family were by his side to wish him well and share stories of his life. He was a longtime Puyallup resident and civic activist. Ernie was raised and educated in upstate New York in the Mohawk Valley. Dr. Bay received his Ph.D. in entomology from Cornell University after serving in the US Army as a research scientist during the Korean Conflict. He served with the United Nations World Health Organization, helping to abate malaria in Haiti, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Ernie was professor emeritus from University of California-Riverside, University of Maryland, and Washington State University. After retiring as superintendent of WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Center he became active in the Rails-to-Trails bicycle trail movement, and was instrumental in creating and maintaining the Foothills Trail from Puyallup through Orting to South Prairie. Dr. Bay served on the Pierce County Conservation District board of directors. Past President of the Kiwanis Club of Puyallup and member of Toastmasters and ForTerra, a frequent contributor to local legislative candidates and civic causes, Ernie was always there to roll up his sleeves and lend a hand. He helped with the creation of public recreation spaces, including the Puyallup Skate Park, Puyallup Spray Park, and Bradley Lake Park. He was an aviator, inventor, father, mentor, skier, hiker, husband, teacher, bicyclist, scientist, naturalist, administrator, community leader, and so much more to so many people. He was so very proud to call the City of Puyallup his home. Dr. Ernie Bay is survived by his wife Ellen, sister Arlene, sons Mike and Steve, daughter-in-law Kathy, and granddaughter Victoria, all of whom he was very proud. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Puyallup Kiwanis Foundation, P.O. Box 451, Puyallup, WA 98371, would put a smile on Ernie's face one last time. There will be a celebration of his life on Saturday, May 14th, at 10:00 AM, Allmendinger Center at WSU Research Center in Puyallup. The City of Puyallup will miss having a tremendous advocate; our family will miss even more having such a loving husband, father and grandfather.

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Published by News Tribune (Tacoma) on Mar. 23, 2016.

Memories and Condolences
for ERNEST BAY

Sponsored by Powers Funeral Home.

11 Entries

Peter Harnik

October 23, 2025

It's 9 years later now, and I had assumed that Ernie had passed away, but I only found out for certain today. I'm in Washington, D.C. but I still think back to the good times working with Ernie on creating the Foothills Trail when I was at the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. He was really a pleasure to collaborate with during the tough times of trying to overcome the opposition and the challenges. I hope there is a plaque somewhere along the trail honoring his work.
--Peter Harnik, Washington, D.C.

DrTom Bailey

November 10, 2024

OK. Now all of this happened a long time ago. One Saturday, sometime in the mid-1960s, Dr. Bay showed up at our front door and explained he was Ernie, he loved Killifish, and he understood there were two brothers, Tom and Nevin Bailey, who did too. I said that's right. Would you like to come in and see them. He said, "Yes!".

So I got my brother and the three of us went downstairs to the basement, which measured about 35'x15' and had over 100-aquariums, which he thought was amazing and just great. We had lots of kinds of fish, mostly cichlids and killifish, because those were spawnable fish.

He asked us about what we fed them. We told him about the great variety of food we fed, which included mosquitos from a 1500-gallon pond in our backyard. He asked to see it; so, we went outside.

He mentioned this might be a problem with city officials, who try to minimize mosquitos. We said we knew that, but we try to catch them before they fly off. He said that wouldn't matter to people, because he recognized the species of mosquitos, and they don't bite people, but they do bite birds.

The conversation with Dr. Bay continued for a long time and was packed full of interesting facts and stories. He also had lots of question about us and what we were doing with our fish.

Finally he said he had some fish in his car that he'd like to give to us. So we went back upstairs and out in front, to look at several bags of beautiful dark turquoise fish, that turned out to be Cynolebias bellottii, which was renamed Austrolebias bellottii many years later.

He told us that he taught at UC Riverside, where he and his students raised lots the C. bellottii in a project aimed at putting their eggs in rice fields to hatch and eat mosquito larvae.

These fish were a very generous gift. We had been spawning Cynolebias nigripinnis for several years, and Dr. Bay said C. bellottii would be about the same. Of course, we offered him some of our fish, but he declined, and said someday he might need something back from us, and he would let us know then.

After he left, my brother and I commented what a nice, smart, generous, wonderful man, that we had for a new friend.

April 1, 2020

I met Dr Bay early in 1968 , our family had just moved in at 3255 Valencia Hill Dr and the Bay's lived next door. I had given Steven a few tin army men and Mr Bay was trying to give them back to no avail. Mr Bay was a very patient man. With Steven , we would fly kites from the field just across the street and he would explain dihedral to me and how it was important for flight. Churning ice cream in the backyard , the pond . I could go on for pages. Mrs Bay and Steven , your husband and father is among the brightest stars . Rich Hughes

Joe Ganem

September 20, 2016

Ellen and family,
I was one of those who have been spoofed with a request to "friend" me on Facebook. When I checked, I discovered Ernie had passed. You don't need my accolades to add to the undoubtedly huge outpouring, but I must tell you he was such a good man that he inspired me to do more. i will never forget him. We've lived in Long Beach CA for 11 years but we spoke a few times over the years. My best regards to each of you. Joe Ganem

Michelle Vigna

June 14, 2016

I loved Ernie and considered him to be one of the most profoundly kind and powerful people I have Ever encountered -- the trees my daughter Zoe and He planted twenty years ago are still standing and flourishing on fifth avenue NW in Puyallup lining the streets that joined our homes -twelve, I believe -- the perfect number of completion. My last visit with Ernie was an exchange of belated Christmas gifts this year on that single beautiful snowy Sunday in January . As always He was vibrant and we laughed together looking at our Interlocking footsteps in the snow --i was struck as always at his nimble lightness and magnetism-- He was a beautiful soul -

Paul Nee

April 2, 2016

I had the distinct pleasure and great appreciation to work with Ernie while we both served on the Board of Supervisors with the Pierce Conservation District. He bought careful and thoughtful deliberations to anything and everything we strived to accomplish to make the vast natural resources and agricultural lands within Pierce County to meet the needs of the burgeoning growth we have consistently seen over the years. Ernie was and will be greatly thanked for his leadership and knowledge in achieving the quality of life that many strive to recognize here for many years to come.

Singh Dhillon

April 1, 2016

Ernie was a great mentor, enjoyed his bugs spontaneous talks in Toastmasters. I loved his antique garden tools that he brought often for digging to plant flowers at the trail.

At my kick off event. Ernie was a super supporter!

Robin Farris

March 26, 2016

Ernie was such an inspiration to me. I will miss him so very much.

Marcia Hager

March 24, 2016

It was such a treat having Ernie on our ski bus for so many years. He will missed!

Enrique and Marjorie Leon

March 23, 2016

We enjoyed riding the ski bus to Crystal Mountain with Ernie. We often met up with him on Queen's Run. On the bus, he entertained us with jokes and helped us keep our beverages from spilling with his Velcro cup holder. We are frequent users of the Foothills Trail and will always think of him when riding it. We and the community will truly miss him.

Linda Walkama

March 19, 2016

I had the honor of playing the following medley for Ernie at the hospital just before noon Friday. I thought it was fitting with beautiful harmony and lyrics, "Don't forget me", "When we were young" and "Just like a movie" - since Ernie and Ellen love movies and were part of Tacoma's Grand Theater restoration. (click on link below - start at 2:57 to skip intro - maybe have some tissues on hand)

http://www.popscreen.com/v/9wEV4/The-Irish-Adele-Singers-Are-Here-to-Perform
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Some good memories:
When Ernie saw my dachshund, Riley loosing use of his hind legs, he fashioned a "butt trolley" for the little rascal out of half a kneeling pad, two WIDE toy-truck wheels, glue gun and Velcro and no doubt many hours of thrift store searches (for "just the right wheels") and fabricating. We laughed when Riley rolled off without missing a beat the first time we strapped it on him.
Another humorous time was counting Trail users near my home in McMillan. Via modern cellphone communications with The Don P. & Buzz G. Team doing their count wayyyy out of "town" and finding they had noted wayyyy more Trail users, Ernie & I got creative and started including dogs + one baby in a stroller in our count. Still not as many as our competing team up-river. I believe we toyed with counting the mole hills on the shoulders of the Trail, but decided our ethics would not allow such blatant stretch of imaginative counts just to "win".
I will miss Ernie's generous kindness, the laughs we shared and filling a void from my dad's passing many years ago.
Thank you Ernie! RIP
Linda & Riley Walkama

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