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<p><em>Lenny Stanley Bay</em> was born in Butte, MT to Lenny and Ethel Delong Bay on March 1, 1944. Like much of the great State of Montana, the people to whom Lenny was exposed growing up were hardy, patriotic, working-class folks. Most had served in World War II. His dad was a decorated U.S. Navy aviator (machine gunner and radioman) who received the Air Medal for service in a Navy SBC2 during dive-bombing actions on October 24, 1944 in the Pacific campaign. Back in Butte, Lenny Senior was a lawman: first a deputy and then sheriff of Silver Bow County. Lenny Junior was a good student-athlete and class leader at Butte High School, where he graduated in 1962. He was imbued with a strong desire to serve, developed in large part by the patriotic ethos of his family and community. With clear potential to serve as an officer, he sought an appointment to West Point and entered in 1962 with the USMA Class of 1966.</p>
<p>Lenny handled the cadet regime well but discovered that academics were more challenging than anticipated. He left the Academy after one semester. Disappointed but undeterred, he joined the U.S. Army Reserve, later transferring to Navy Reserve, as he worked hard to achieve his dream of reapplying to West Point. His perseverance paid off when he was appointed by Representative Arnold Olsen of Montana’s 1st Congressional District to the USMA Class of 1969. When he reported to the Man in the Red Sash for the second time, Lenny was a mature young man with three years of service. He was also one of the oldest in his class—the firsties had been his original classmates!</p>
<p>When he returned to West Point, there were now four regiments, not two. He joined Company E-4. Two years later, as the Corps of Cadets continued to expand and new companies were formed, Lenny found himself in G-4. Determined to graduate and earn a commission, his disciplined efforts enabled him to meet the academic challenges. His Howitzer entry reflects a man to whom other cadets turned for “mature counsel,” one who was calm in the “face of fire.” He was selected to command G-4 in the final detail of his cadet career, a clear sign of the respect held by cadets and officers for this quiet, unflappable leader. He branched Infantry and, after graduation, moved out smartly in his Shelby GT Cobra (Lenny loved fast cars!) to conquer Fort Benning, GA.</p>
<p>Classmate Mike Williams recalls with much fondness their close friendship, which grew during the last two years at West Point and continued through their bachelor escapades at Fort Benning (where Lenny suffered a permanent knee injury in airborne training) and to their initial posting in Baumholder, Germany, where their weekend adventures took them throughout Europe. Lenny didn’t just travel; he met and fell in love with Rosita Eva Cutlip, daughter of the command sergeant major of an engineer unit. In 1972, Lenny and Rosita married with Mike as the best man. </p>
<p>Lenny’s knee injury caused him branch transfer to the Medical Service Corps. Departing Germany, the Bays were stationed briefly in Michigan and then moved on to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX for the officer advanced course and subsequent command of a student training company.</p>
<p>When Lenny left the Army in 1976, he and Rosita remained in San Antonio. He was employed by Pac-Mor, where he held various engineering positions and assisted consulting engineers, manufacturers, and research firms. He was credited with designing the company’s first side-lift system for containerized dumpsters in response to the city’s requirement for refuse collection on narrower streets and alleys. Finally, Lenny went to work as a civil servant at Kelly Air Force Base as a production supervisory engineer for gas turbine engines. When the Base Realignment and Closure Act hit Kelly AFB in 2002, Lenny retired and turned his full attention to the company he had started on the side in 1992. His company conducted compliance inspections for clients with material handling equipment.</p>
<p>During retirement, he focused much of his time with his loving wife, Rosita, or sharpening swords, collecting classic knives and firearms, and shooting windchimes from the back deck. He and Rosita had three children, all of whom embraced their family’s value of service to others: Christopher, an Army officer in the Ordnance Corps; Marcus, an officer in the Coast Guard who works with domestic national programs in Washington, DC; and Sairah, a San Antonio school teacher. Lenny was a devoted father and grandfather of five who cherished his visits with his grandchildren and instilled in them a love for life and a tolerance for algebra. He had an amazing memory and told entertaining stories—sometimes with just a hint of exaggeration. He created positive relationships and connections with everyone he met. Even in his last days Lenny told stories from his rich, almost idyllic, life: from his post-World War II days in Butte to his military adventures and beyond. He even related his dreams; but, as his oldest son Christopher lovingly opines, Lenny’s life was bigger than most people’s dreams.</p>
<p>After a long bout with cancer, Lenny Stanley Bay passed away peacefully on February 2, 2023 at home surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife, Rosita; his children: son Christopher Scott of Smithville, MO, son Marcus Aaron and Amy Elizabeth of Burke, VA, and daughter Sairah Elise and Francisco Eduardo Javier of San Antonio; and his grandchildren: Jacob Austin, McKenna Catherine, Adonia Creedence, Thalia Sabbath, and Sophia Elise.</p>
<p>May Lenny rest in peace and those who loved him live in peace.</p>
<p><em>— Lenny S. Bay Family and Classmates</em></p>
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