William H. Kay III died on May 5 at 10:55 in the morning at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He fought a very brave and difficult battle. At his death he was surrounded by his wife, Maria Granito-Kay, his daughter Valerie Kay (Graham), his son William H. Kay IV and his sister Norah Burnes. Mr. Kay was 68 years old.
During the last six years of his life he was a resident of Covington and a member of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Covington. Prior to moving to Georgia he owned and operated Kay Construction in upstate New York and Prints and Frames in St. Lucie, Fla. In Georgia William was a Realtor for Keller-Williams, an employee of Dick's Sporting Goods and a cherished ranch hand at The Rock Ranch in The Rock. He and his wife were active volunteers at Zoo Atlanta and spent many hours working together on their annual Beastly Feast fund raiser. Mr. Kay was also an active participant in competitive shooting events in Cumming, Covington and Griffin. He was a District Director of the Jackson Lake Homeowners Association until his cancer made it impossible for him to maintain his duties. Mr. Kay was involved in many charitable organizations; he was a judge of the Young Floridian's sponsored by St. Lucie County of Florida Education Foundation, he contributed art and his time for the Ronald McDonald Houses of Florida, he donated a beautiful Shakespeare Print that depicted every one of Shakespeare's plays to the American Shakespeare Tavern in Atlanta.
Mr. Kay was a man of many talents and many interests. His wonderful disposition, love of life and heart-felt laugh lifted the spirits of many friends and family members. He has left his grandchildren with the love of the ocean and the memory of swimming with dolphins. He will be sadly missed.
He is survived by his first wife, Olga Kay, and their two children, Valerie Kay and her husband, Bruce Graham, and their three daughters, Sophia, Natalie and Juliet; his son William H. Kay IV and his wife Jennifer Ippolito and their four children William H. Kay V, Oscar, Vivian and Hugo. He is also survived by his current wife Maria Granito-Kay and his three step-sons John Granito and his wife Nina and their three children Mia, Niccolo, and Gianna; Adam Granito and his wife Jennifer and their three children Rian, Christopher and Anna; Jason Granito and his wife Charlotte and their three children Jason Alec, Hannah and Celena. He is also survived by his brother Robert Kay, his sister-in-law Nancy, his sister Norah Burnes and his nephews Peter and Evan and his step father Eugene Tyszkiewicz. His mother Margaret Tyszkiewicz predeceased him by two months.
William also leaves behind two beloved and devoted pets, Miss Ina and Ryder.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 28, at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 4140 Clark St. Covington. In lieu of flowers Mr. Kay has requested donations be made to the Church of the Good Shepherd.
