Toombs Kay Obituary

Toombs H. Kay, Jr. Pawleys Island, SC - Toombs H. Kay, Jr., who was born on December 22, 1929, died peacefully on December 4, 2018. He was the son of Toombs Hodges Kay, Sr. and Viola Winn Kay. He was brought up on the Kay farm near Royston, GA. He graduated from Royston High School and Reinhardt Junior College. He completed his college education at Duke University, graduating with an A.B. degree in 1951. He received the M.Div. from Emory University in 1954 and then attended Union Theological Seminary in NYC and Columbia University before attaining a Ph.D. degree from New York University. Some years later he was awarded the honorary D.D. by Tennessee Wesleyan College. He married Sara Elizabeth Beggs and they had five children: Ann Farr, Debra (Meryl) Perry, Cindy (Bill) Rhea, Paul Kay and six grandchildren. Dr. Kay was preceded in death by his son, Robert and grandson, Luke. Toombs is also survived by sisters, Betty Skelton and Pat Nix; brothers, John Wesley Kay, Terry Kay, and Gary Kay - and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Sara died in May 1988, and Toombs married Patricia B. Terrill in March 1991. He is survived by Pat and her three children: Kathy (Jeff) Hewitt, Cindy (Mark) Munn, and Rick (Liz) Terrill, and seven grandchildren. Dr. Kay was also preceded in death by Pat's two grandsons, Barrett and Charlie. In June 1951, Toombs was assigned to Union City Methodist Church, Union City, GA. After completing seminary, he was appointed to the Shandaken Methodist Parish in New York. From there, in 1956, he became the minister of the First Reformed Church of Jamaica, NY, serving there until he finished his doctorate. In 1961 he was named Professor and head of the Department of Religion and Philosophy at LaGrange College, LaGrange, GA. In 1965 Toombs moved to Reinhardt College, which he had attended earlier, and was the Dean. From there he transferred to Tennessee Wesleyan College as the Academic Dean and Professor of Religion and Philosophy until 1974 when he was appointed as the Senior Minister of Church Street United Methodist Church in Knoxville, TN. He served there for thirteen years before moving to be Senior Minister of the First Broad Street United Methodist Church in Kingsport, TN. He retired from that position in December 1993. After retirement, he served brief appointments at John Wesley United Methodist Church in Bristol, VA, Bethel Presbyterian Church in Kingsport, TN, and Erwin Presbyterian Church, Erwin, TN. A memorial service will be held December 8, 2018 at 2:00 pm at St. Paul's Waccamaw UMC in Pawley's Island, SC. Memorials may be made to St. Paul's Waccamaw UMC and designated to the Toombs H. Kay Shut In Ministry on the memo line: 180 St. Paul Place, Pawley's Island, SC 29585, or to a charity of your choice. An online guestbook is available at www.goldfinchfuneralhome.com. Goldfinch Funeral Home, Litchfield Pawley's Chapel is handling arrangements. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston