Robert 'Bob' Clay

Robert ‘Bob” Clay, age 86, of Aurora, passed away on Monday, September 16, 2024 at Memorial Community Care.
A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, September 21 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 1409 9th Street, Aurora. Inurnment will be a private family service at the Aurora Cemetery at a later date.   Visitation will be from 3 -5 p.m. Friday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church followed by the Rosary at 5 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in care of the family to be determined at a later date. Higby-McQuiston Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at www.higbymortuary.com.
Robert Harrison Clay, the son of Gail and Stella (Geiser) Clay, was born at Broken Bow, on August 5, 1938 and passed away at Aurora, on September 16, 2024 at the age of 86.
He grew up in Broken Bow, graduating from Broken Bow High School.   Bob attended Kearney State College, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1960. After graduation, he taught and coached at Bellevue Public Schools for 6 years and then worked as a graduate assistant at Kearney State College where he obtained his Master’s Degree.   Bob then taught mathematics and coached football at Grand Island Northwest followed by Kimball High School.   In 1972, he accepted the position of Principal and Athletic Director at Deshler High School and then served as the acting Superintendent there until July of 1973.   In 1974, Bob moved to Aurora to begin working as the Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at Aurora High School.   Bob remained with the Aurora Schools until his retirement in 1998.
On June 26, 1965 Bob married Diann Masur at St. Leonard’s Catholic Church in Madison.   To this union were born two daughters, Melanie and Pamela.   Both daughters also attended and graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
Bob served as State President of the NE Athletic Directors Association in 1977.   He earned a number of special awards throughout his years of teaching and coaching, including Aurora Educator of the Year 1978, NE State Athletic Director of the Year in 1981, the NSAA Distinguished Service Award in 2000 and the Howard Holland Friend of the Program Award in 2011.   Bob helped start the Aurora Athletic Foundation as well as helping to establish the annual Alumni Basketball Tournament in Aurora.   He was an active member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church as well as other organizations including the Aurora Chamber President in 1991.   Bob was also known for “Bob’s Boutique” when he sold old jerseys, jackets, etc. at the Aurora Schools.
He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Gale, Dusty and Bill Clay; two brothers-in-law, John Wilson and Fred Dady and nephews, Randy Clay and Zac Dady.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 59 years, Diann of Aurora; two daughters, Melanie (Dave) Haith of Grand Island and Pamela Carver of West Des Moines, IA; four grandchildren, TJ and Drew Haith, and Elise and Jack Carver; two sisters, Deanna Wilson of Riverton, WY and Debbi Dady of Broken Bow; two sisters-in-law, Janet Clay of Broken Bow and Carol Clay of LaMars, IA and several nieces and nephews. He is also survived by sisters-in-law, Carol (Jerry) Schuette of Miami, FL and Linda (Pat) Geary of Omaha and brother-in-law, Larry (Jane) Masur of Omaha and other family members and friends.