Richard "Rich" Hay

Rich Hay, 76, of Knoxville, Iowa passed away Monday, June 1 at UnityPoint Taylor House after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. As were his wishes, cremation has been accorded.

A gathering for family and friends will be held at West Lawn Cemetery in Lehigh on Friday, June 12 at 10:30 am. A celebration of Life will be held at the Knoxville Raceway on Sunday, June 14 at 10:30 am. Online condolences to https://www.carsonstappfuneralhome.com/.

Richard Allen Hay was born February 6, 1950, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the eldest child of Earl and Marie (Beth) Hay. He attended Central Webster Schools and graduated with the class of 1968. Rich then attended Iowa Central Community College and completed the Farm Power program. In 1970, he married Pam Kruse and their daughter Kim was born. The couple later divorced. He was then married to Colleen Johnson and later divorced.

Rich began his career as a mechanic at Tasler Implement in Farnhamville. In 1976, he moved back to the Lehigh area and farmed with the Gripp family. He later relocated to the Badger and Fort Dodge areas, working for Woodruff-Evans Construction, Automatic Service Center, and Anderson Implement. After relocating to Knoxville in 1999, he worked at Pella Corporation and lastly provided apartment building maintenance services in Knoxville before retiring.

He loved stock car racing and proudly attended the Knoxville Nationals sprint car races for 37 years, often hosting friends from Australia and Iowa during the event. He enjoyed tractors, farming, cars, playing softball and golf, gardening, anything mechanical, and following the Hawkeyes, Cyclones, Dallas Cowboys, Indiana Fever, and NASCAR.

Rich is survived by his daughter Kim (Doug) Baker of Cherokee, IA; grandchildren and great grandchildren; sisters Judy (David) Zoch and Rita (Wayne) Lussman all of Fort Dodge, IA; brothers Jim (Kathy) Hay of Harcourt, IA; Darrel (Kathleen) Hay of Webster City, IA; and Tom Hay of Pflugerville, TX; and by nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, and a host of close friends he considered family. He is preceded in death by his parents, sister Diane, his cat T.T., and grandparents Roy and Louise Hay and Clarence and Florence Housken.

Memorials may be made to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, UnityPoint Hospice – Taylor House, or to the discretion of the family.