Kay

Greydon A. Kay, 91, formerly of Evans City, passed away Wednesday at Fountain Springs Healthcare in Rapid City, S.D.

Greydon was born on Feb. 1, 1923, in North Bergen, N.J., to the late Joseph C. Kay and Ethel M. Rhodes.

Greydon married Frances E. Piper on Sept. 29, 1962, in Butler. To this union were born a son, Allen Greydon, and a daughter, Amy Kathleen. They raised their children and lived in Evans City for 46 years until moving to Passavant Retirement Community in Zelienople in 2008. In April 2013, Greydon moved to Fountain Springs Healthcare in Rapid City to be near his daughter.

Greydon lived in Woodcliff, N.J., with his older brother, Kenneth, and his parents before entering grammar school. In the late 1920s, the family moved to Fairfield, Conn., where Greydon grew up. He was an Eagle Scout and Sea Scout, played the fife in the school band and enjoyed photography and developing his own pictures.

While in high school in the summer of 1939, Greydon traveled to California with his school principal and a friend, camping the entire way and visiting many National Parks. Forty years later in 1979, Greydon repeated this trip with his family in a station wagon and tent camper. Greydon graduated from the University of Maine in 1945 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering.

Early in his career, Greydon was employed as a chemical engineer by various companies including American Cyanide in Indiana. During the 1950s, he settled in Evans City, built one of the first houses on Second Street and was employed at Mine Safety Appliances in Callery. He was married at this time and adopted a daughter, Kimetha, who he maintained a strong personal interest in until his health declined.

In 1959, Greydon was hired as plant engineer by the Penn Drake Refining Co. (Penreco) in Karns City, where he worked until retiring in 1986. During this time, Greydon also repaired and maintained refrigeration equipment at dairy farms, restaurants and other businesses.

After retirement, Greydon kept busy as a consulting engineering for Exxon and taught labs for 12 years in the Metrology Department at Butler County Community College. Greydon cherished the camaraderie and lifelong friends he made with the students and faculty at BC3. He also kept busy in retirement with a large vegetable garden, taking annual canoe trips with his friends at church and road trips to visit his children.

Greydon shared his love of the outdoors with his family. Greydon and Frances loved to travel and took the family camping in a tent trailer and station wagon to Pymatuning State Park each summer and on longer camping trips to New England, Florida, Texas, and California. The kids fondly remember Dad taking them boating, canoeing and fishing at Moraine State Park and swimming in the evenings at Seneca Valley High School and the community pools.

Greydon was a 60-year member, elder and deacon at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Evans City. He was a lifelong member of Harmony Lodge 429 of the Free and Accepted Masons, a member of the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers and a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers since 1946, and served on the Seneca Valley School Board in 1984. Greydon also served as a scout leader for Troop 471.

Survivors include his son, Allen (Sue) of Derwood, Md., and their children, Ian and Colin; his daughter, Amy (Brad) of Hermosa, S.D., and their children, Nicole and Brian; his adopted daughter, Kimetha of Polk; his sister-in-law, Doris Piper of Titusville, and his 10 nieces and nephews and their children.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Frances in 2012, and his brother, Kenneth.

Kay— A celebration of Greydon's life and interment of ashes at the Evans City Cemetery for both Greydon A. Kay, who passed away Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014, and Frances, will be scheduled later.Immediate arrangements are by the Behrens-Wilson Funeral Home, South Dakota.Condolences may be conveyed to the family at www.behrenswilson.com.