Ike Hay, 69, of Lancaster, Pa., died on Feb. 14, 2014, at home, of ILD. He was born to the late Isaac K. Hay Sr. and Florice Caldwell Hay, April 28, 1944, in Atlanta.
He grew up in Bethesda, Md., and graduated from Walter Johnson High School. He had been a member of the Chevy Chase Baptist Church, Washington, D.C. He completed two years at Montgomery College, Md., and graduated from the University of Georgia, BFA and MFA, in sculpture. He served six years in the Army Reserves during Vietnam. After teaching for five years at Purdue University, Ike served in the Artist-in-the-Schools program in Birmingham, Ala. for a year. Ike made Lancaster home when he joined the art department at Millersville University in 1975, teaching there for 30 years. At MU he refined the bronze foundry to industry standards, and led a student group of artists to replicate a life-size triceratops skull for the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum. Ike created site-specific architectural sculpture and his pieces are in Alaska, Alabama, Florida, and Oklahoma. In Pennsylvania, his art is in Philadelphia, Reading, Harrisburg, York, and Lancaster.
He was a student and scholar of Napoleonic military history and decorative arts. He presented papers across the country on his studies. He was an avid collector and guided restoration of many pieces of furniture of the classical period, in addition to Regency lighting and French Napoleonic edged weapons.
He was married to and is survived by Teri Hay (Theresa Bisker). They would have been married for 35 years in May. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Mariah Ruth Hay, 31, of Dallas, Texas, and Mistral Gale Hay, 27, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; and three cousins who live in Georgia, Sam Hay III, Libby Hay Davis, and Judson Caldwell.
Ike had the gentility of a Southerner, his roots, and the frankness of a Northerner, where he chose to make his home. He was the epitome of a true teacher, always generously sharing and disseminating information with anyone who expressed an interest and thirst for knowledge. He had a quick wit and great sense of humor. His influence was like a gentle breeze to all who knew him. He took great pleasure in being a small part of students’ progress and success. He allowed his students to be organically changed by his influence or mere presence in their lives. Ike has said, "Great art springs from great ideas and is refined with impeccable design and technique. To dismiss work with a glance is inherently unfair. The relativity of art makes it difficult to qualify. I look deeper. All art is created to communicate an idea, a feeling, a theory, or possibly a perspective to honor." He will be greatly missed by his circle of family and friends.
Ike’s Celebration of Life Service will be held at 4 p.m. Feb. 20 at The Groffs Family Funeral Home, 528 West Orange St., (corner of Pine and Orange) Lancaster, Pa. The family will greet friends from 3 p.m. until the time of the service and would be honored if you would share a brief story of Ike’s influence in your life. Memorial contributions may be made payable to Johns Hopkins University, Fund for Johns Hopkins Medicine, 5200 Eastern Ave., MFL Center Tower, Suite 356, Baltimore, Md. 21224 or Millersville University Art Department, Juried Student Show, ¬Sculpture Award, at http://www.millersville.edu/give/online-forms/gift.php
Visit www.caldwellandcowan.com to place online condolences or call 770-786-7062.
