William Lay

William D Lay, son of Kenneth and Theodeanne Lay, was born on December 5, 1952, in Tokyo, Japan, where Kenneth was serving in the United States Army. After his father retired from the army, Bill and his family settled in Ripon, Wisconsin. After graduating high school, Bill attended the University of Notre Dame, where he completed two years of study before transferring to the University of Wisconsin, where he earned a B.S. in Chemistry and served as a research assistant to Nobel Laureate, Herbert C. Brown.

Bill joined the Unification Church in 1975 in Oakland, California. He became a member of the IOWC team and moved to New York in 1976. In 1978, he taught himself Spanish and became involved with the Spanish-language ministry, overseeing church services for the Spanish-speaking community.

In 1980, Bill began working with CAUSA International. Through CAUSA, Bill traveled across the globe – Latin America, the United States, Western Europe, Asia, and Australia – conducting seminars for leaders interested in the CAUSA Worldview. In 1986, after visiting and seeing over 50 countries, he was appointed Vice President of CAUSA International.

After graduating from Columbia Law School in 1992, Bill was selected to clerk at the New York Court of Appeals in Albany, the highest court in New York state. Following his time there, Bill and his family settled in Port Washington, New York, where he raised his five children, Nathanael, Daniel, Kori, Kalia, and Jina. He taught Sunday school in his living room to his children and other Unification church families. He always thrived teaching in any capacity. Bill and his family also spent many vacations in upstate New York where he taught his children how to cross country ski, which was one of his favorite activities. He and his family would also do yearly Summer road trips to his hometown of Ripon to spend time with his children’s beloved Grandpa and Nannie.

In 2008, the Professors World Peace Academy established a partnership with the University of Bridgeport Bill was drawn back to his first love: teaching. He became a full-time faculty member at the University of Bridgeport, where he established both undergraduate and graduate programs in Criminal Justice and Human Security. Professor Lay was revered and respected by his students for his clear and engaging lectures and the personal attention he gave to each student who sought his support, as evidenced by his 4.7 out of 5 rating on RateMyProfessors!

Bill and his wife Taeko have been together for 15 years. They are re-Blessed. They made a home in Harrison, New York with Taeko’s daughters, Mika and Johanna. Just this year, they moved to Hawthorne, New Jersey to be closer to their grandchildren, Maya and Yana.

To say that Bill loved the outdoors would be an understatement. He was a decorated marathon runner and avid hiker. He led countless camping and backpacking trips and shared his love and respect for nature with his children, as well as many others. He was also a crossword puzzle aficionado, often completing the Sunday Times crossword in pen. He was always excited to pick up the guitar – another skill he taught himself – and get a singing circle going. He passed on many of these talents to his children.

Bill Lay is survived by his beloved wife, Taeko, his children and their significant others, Nathanael and Barbara, Daniel and Haley, Kori and Correy, Kalia and Dan, and Jina and Cam, and two stepdaughters, Mika and Johanna, with her husband Kushal. He is also survived by his two grandchildren, Maya and Yana.