Richard Gary Hay

On Sunday, December 6, 2020, Richard Gary Hay, loving husband, father, and grandfather passed away at the age of 77 after a 20-year battle with Parkinson’s Disease.

Dick was born on June 2, 1943 in Portland, OR to Robert A. Hay and Ethel (Darling) Hay.  He received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University in 1965, and a master’s from the University of New Mexico in 1967. On September 4, 1965 he married the love of his life Judith M. Rehberg in Portland and with her, lovingly raised two children, Christy and Jeff.

Dick worked at Sandia National Laboratories for 40 years, starting with development of seismic sensors during Vietnam and culminating as director of the Kauai Test Facility in Hawaii.  His career focusing on advancing technologies in missile defense, sensor applications, advanced aerospace systems, and test range management found him spending time living in the DC area, Thailand, Australia, and Nevada in addition to Albuquerque.

Dick fully threw himself into every project he undertook, often coming up with novel solutions. He found pride and enjoyment in his work, and filled his time away from work tinkering on electronics and projects in his garage, repairing vehicles, camping, waterskiing, playing tennis, gardening, and laughing with close friends. He logged many miles with his family in their RV, travelling across the United States, visiting national and state parks, and marveling at unexpected discoveries along the way.  After retirement, he and Judy traveled locally and internationally, and he greatly enjoyed being an active participant in his grandchildren’s lives.

Dick was a devoted husband, father, and Popsy, who will be dearly missed by Judy, his wife of 55 years; their children, Jeff and Christy, her husband, Rick Romero; Dick’s brother, Robert (Mike) Hay and wife, Linda; his grandchildren, Amy and Alan Romero; bonus grandchildren, Chris, Christine, and Ben, and all his family and friends.

Dick’s family will be holding a memorial service for him on the Oregon coast. In remembrance, donations may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, PO Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014.