James Dennis Clay, Jr. ("Dennis") known to his Kentucky family as "Sonny", passed away peacefully on May 2, 2023, at the age of 97.

On January 24, 1926, Dennis was born in Henderson, Kentucky to James Dennis Clay, Sr. and Esther Cummings Clay. He is preceded in death by his parents and three of his sisters, Martha Mulligan, Avalon Toy, and Nancy Kazee. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Patti Clay; his daughter Julie Clay Huber; son-in-law, Jim Huber; his five grandchildren, Hailey, Allie, Katie, Jake, and Joe Huber; his sister, Elsie Townsend and her husband Leon; cousins, nephews and nieces.

Dennis graduated in 1943 from Barrett Manual Training High School in Henderson, Kentucky. In 1944, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and went through Cadet training to be a navigator. He graduated from the Cadets the day World War II ended. He came back to Kentucky and attended the University of Kentucky on the GI Bill. He graduated with a geology degree and went to work for Sun Oil Company in Evansville, Indiana. He met his wife Patti while working at Sun. They married on July 2, 1955. After the couple lived in Evansville for two and half years, Dennis was transferred to Maracaibo, Venezuela. Dennis and Patti were transferred six more times and lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; went back to Maracaibo, Venezuela where they had a daughter, Julie. On a business trip from Argentina enroute to Maracaibo, Venezuela, Dennis was high jacked to Cuba. He said they didn't think the plane had enough fuel to make it to Cuba, but he made it safely and they gave the passengers a cigar and rum. After Maracaibo, the couple and Julie moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina; London, England; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Dallas, Texas. Dennis took early retirement from Sun in 1982 and moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to work for Clyde Petroleum In 1985, Dennis started his own company, Roadrunner Energy, Inc. Dennis loved geology and the pursuit of finding oil. He also enjoyed golf, riding the waves in Daytona Beach, Florida and watching the Kentucky Wildcats play basketball.

He was a wonderful son, sibling, husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He will be greatly missed.

A graveside service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, June 3, 2023, at the Fernwood Cemetery, in Henderson, Kentucky.

Fitzgerald Ivy Chapel, 918-585-1151