Mr. James B. Klay Jr.

KLAY, JR., James B., of Tampa passed away on January 30th, 2013 after a long battle with cancer. He was born on October 10th, 1946 in Tampa and was the eldest son of James and Frances Klay. He was preceded in death by his wife Margaret Klay and his daughter Anne Hennessey. He is survived by his son James B. Klay III, his step-son Richard A. Lamp, and step-daughter Ginny Hornbeck. He is also survived by his mother Frances Klay and three sisters Louise Kofron, Patricia Surace, and Kathy Miller. He was a National Merit Scholar and attended college at Wesleyan University, where he studied math and history. He served in the United States Navy from 1968 until 1973. After a short deployment in the Vietnam Theater he became a nuclear reactor operator and served aboard submarines USS Alexander Hamilton, and USS Sand Lance. He worked as a civilian reactor operator for a number of years before working at Cape Kennedy in Launch Control on the Space Shuttle Project, where he met his wife Margaret. He worked for various aeronautical firms, to include Smith's Industries, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and CAE. Memorial service will be Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at Blount & Curry Funeral Home, 605 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Salvation Army or to Metropolitan Ministries to aid the homeless.