TRIBUTE TO DR. ROBERT A. "BOBBY" CLAY, JR.

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Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E445-E446] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TRIBUTE TO DR. ROBERT A. ``BOBBY'' CLAY, JR. ______ HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR. of georgia in the house of representatives Thursday, May 14, 2026 Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable Georgian--Dr. Robert A. ``Bobby'' Clay, Jr.--who passed away peacefully on May 6, 2026, at the age of 98. Dr. Clay was a man of extraordinary character whose life of service left an indelible mark on Lee County, Georgia, and on the generations of students, families, and neighbors who were blessed to know him. A funeral service to celebrate his remarkable life will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the Leslie City Cemetery in Leslie, Georgia. Born in 1928 in Lee County, Bobby Clay was the son of Robert A. Clay, Sr. and Eddye Hooks Clay. He was raised during the Great Depression on Clay Spring Farms, a family homestead recognized as a Centennial Farm, having remained in continuous operation by the same family for 121 years. From his earliest days, Bobby Clay learned the virtues that would define his life: hard work, humility, stewardship, and perseverance. The red clay of Lee County ran deep in his veins, and the values instilled on that farm never left him. Even as a young man, Dr. Clay demonstrated an uncommon sense of responsibility. At just 15 years old, while still a student at Leesburg High School, he served as a school bus driver for the Lee County School System--an early sign of the leadership and commitment to community that would characterize his entire life. He graduated with the Class of 1945, a year that marked both the end of a world war and the beginning of a remarkable personal journey. Dr. Clay went on to attend North Georgia College before earning his bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia. His hunger for learning did not stop there. With a lifelong dedication to education, he earned both a master's degree and a doctorate in education-- credentials that reflected not only his intellectual achievement but his profound belief that education was the great equalizer and the foundation of a just and flourishing society. For more than three decades, Dr. Clay devoted himself to the Lee County School System. He served on the Lee County Board of Education and then as superintendent for an extraordinary 32 years. During a time of tremendous challenge and change in American public education, he provided the steady hand of a leader who understood that doing the right thing was more important than doing the easy thing. [[Page E446]] Under his leadership, the Lee County School System navigated the complexities of desegregation with integrity and compassion. He opened the schoolhouse doors wider--welcoming students with disabilities into the public school system, expanding educational opportunities for all children regardless of background, and guiding the district through a period of significant growth. The school system he helped shape stands today as one of Georgia's most respected--a living testament to his vision and his values. But to speak of Dr. Clay only in terms of policy and administration would be to miss something essential about the man. He was, at his core, a farmer who loved the land. He spoke fondly of childhood days spent swimming in Chokee Creek, fishing, and working alongside his family. Clay Spring Farms was not simply a place he lived--it was an expression of who he was. He understood that the health of a community is rooted in the health of its families, its land, and its traditions. On June 13, 1954, Bobby Clay married the love of his life, Betty Ann Pace Clay. Their partnership spanned 67 years--a union of faith, devotion, and shared purpose that endured until Betty Ann's passing in 2021. Together they built a home known for its warmth, its hospitality, and its deep love of family. They were faithful members of DeSoto Baptist Church, where they served for many years and where their faith was as much a part of daily life as the Georgia soil beneath their feet. In addition to his work in education, Dr. Clay served his community through longtime membership on the Board of Health, demonstrating that his commitment to public service extended beyond the schoolhouse. He was honored as a member of the Lee County High School Distinguished Alumni Program--a recognition that only scratched the surface of what he meant to the people of that county. His truly lived his life by the words: ``To educate a man is to educate a citizen. To serve your community is to serve your God.'' Dr. Clay was preceded in death by his beloved wife Betty Ann; his son, Robert A. Clay, III; grandson Zachary Clay Peak; and son-in-law Sidney Clinton Peak. He is survived by his daughters, Carol Ann Clay Peak of Lee County and Melody Clay Sheffield of Albany; his grandson James Clay Sheffield; his sister Evelyn Clay Hicks of Marietta; and a wide circle of nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends who carry his memory forward. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representative to join my wife Vivian and me, along with the more than 765,000 people of Georgia's 2nd Congressional District in honoring that life and legacy of Dr. Robert ``Bobby'' Clay, Jr. His is the biography of rural Georgia at its best. He was a man who never forgot where he came from, never stopped working for the people around him, and never wavered in his conviction that every child deserved a good education and every community deserved good leadership. He lived 98 years, and he used every one of them well. He was an educator, farmer, public servant, husband, father, and devoted son of Lee County, Georgia. May his family find comfort in the knowledge that his work endures, and that the State of Georgia, the Nation, and the world is better because of him. ____________________

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