Amos G. "Randy" Clay

1955 - 2019

(News story) Amos G. "Randy" Clay, Jr., a small business-owner and longtime Toledo Lucas County Public Library board member, died Sept. 26 at his home in Toledo. He was 64.

He died of complications from diabetes, his wife Lisa Krupa-Clay said.

Mr. Clay owned and operated his family's business, Chem-Sales, Inc., which he ran with his wife for more than 30 years. The company initially sold microfilm and chemicals but grew to find a national market for its Ice Melter product.

According to a "Small Business Profile" feature in The Blade dated July 24, 2000, Mr. Clay had been working as a sales representative for Honeywell Corp. in Washington and returned to Toledo in 1986 to buy Chem-Sales from his father.

"He got some small sales contracts in town, then struck a minority set-aside deal with Ohio State University," The Blade article read. "Going hard after more such deals, he landed similar contracts with Wendy's Corp., McDonald's Corp., Pepsi Food Service, and others to supply them with Ice Melter for nearly 12,000 restaurants nationwide."

Mrs. Krupa-Clay said the business continued to succeed because it remained a family operation.

"We just kept it small and that's what worked," she said.

Mr. Clay never officially retired, though he slowed down after he lost both his legs to diabetes.

"He was one of those types, he'd be in his office until 8 o'clock at night," his wife said. "That's how he was. He was always at the office."

That is unless one of his four children had a volleyball tournament, or a football or softball game, or a swim meet.

"That's where our off time was spent, with the kids' sports. Always," his wife said. "He was definitely involved. He loved that stuff."

He also was involved in helping other minority-owned businesses get their footing, which is how he first became connected to the library. He participated in minority business and small business incubators and used the library's resources.

Mr. Clay served as a member of the Library Legacy Foundation's board of trustees from 1994-1998 and helped coordinate fund-raisers. He then was appointed to the library system's board of trustees, where he served several times as its president and advocated that the library be a reflection of the community it serves.

He also sat on the Ohio Library Council Board from 2002-2005, "where he helped the library navigate tremendous change in how libraries serve our communities," according to a recent resolution from the library board.

The library board of trustees, unaware of Mr. Clay's death, passed a resolution in his honor on Thursday to applaud his more than 20-year commitment to the library system.

"He loved being on the library board. It was something that, when his health took a turn, it was pretty heartbreaking for him to not be able to be with us," said Jason Kucsma, the library's director and fiscal officer.

Mr. Clay was born to Amos G. Clay, Sr., and Shirley J. Clay on July 4, 1955, in Roxboro, North Carolina. The family of three moved to Toledo when he was a small child.

He graduated from St. Francis de Sales High School in 1973 and attended University of Toledo, though he left college to join the U.S. Army and did not graduate.

Surviving are his wife, Lisa Krupa-Clay, whom he married June 16, 1989 in Toledo; mother, Shirley Clay; daughters Virginia Ashford, Elizabeth Clay, and Sydney Clay; son Alexander Clay; and two grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday at the Newcomer Funeral Home, Northwest Chapel on Laskey Road. A funeral service will begin at noon at the funeral home.

The family suggests tributes to the Toledo Lucas County Public Library.

This is a news story by Sarah Elms. Contact her at selms@theblade.com, 419-724-6103, or on Twitter @BySarahElms.