Sarah June Hay

June Hay, 92, was called to her heavenly home on August 31, 2021 in Sebring, FL.  June was born on March 21, 1929, to Christian parents, Richard and Etta Bell, and was the youngest of six children.  From infancy, June was taught to know and love the Lord and His people.  At the age of eleven, she accepted Jesus as her personal Savior and shortly thereafter was baptized.  While attending a Bible conference at age sixteen, June made her desire to serve the Lord in full-time work known to the public.  In 1947, the Lord led her to attend Bryan College, where she learned what an intimate Savior her Savior was and formed the habit of daily devotions and a systematic prayer life.  Always a lover of music, June was involved in various musical outreach groups while at Bryan, both as a singer and as an accompanist.  Her desire to reach the lost increased and she became eager to know where the Lord wanted her to go.  It wasn’t until January 1951 that the Holy Spirit made known to June that Africa was where God was leading her.  She began reading about Africa and grew burdened for those enslaved by sin.  June met and got engaged to Ian Hay while at Bryan College.  Desiring to serve the Lord together, they submitted their applications to SIM.  After June graduated, she and Ian married on June 7, 1951, in Dayton, TN.  Later that year they attended candidate school in New York and were accepted for service with SIM and appointed to Nigeria in October 1951.  Ian and June arrived in Nigeria in March 1952.  Their first assignment was to Kuta, where they served as general missionaries emphasizing evangelism and church planting among the Gbagyi people.  In their second term, they moved to Jos for Ian to take on an administrative role as field secretary for SIM West Africa, and June became an instructor for a Bible correspondence course. She also assisted Ian’s father by transcribing his translation of the Gbagyi New Testament and taught piano at Kent Academy. June even accompanied the singing at Billy Graham’s crusade in Jos.  While in Nigeria, they had five children, four of whom are now with the Lord.  In 1965, Ian and June transitioned to the United States, where Ian served as director of North America, then deputy general director.  In 1975, Ian was appointed general director of SIM, a position he held for 18 years.  During their terms in the States, June kept busy with the children, worked in International Personnel, served as editor of Intercom , edited each article and book Ian wrote, and later served as Ian’s secretary. After their youngest son went off to college, June traveled with Ian around the globe and often spoke to women’s groups at Spiritual Life conferences where Ian was the keynote speaker. The Hays went on retirement status with SIM in January 1997 and moved to the SIM retirement village in Sebring, Florida.  Even in retirement, Ian and June faithfully served the Lord, looking for ways to share the goodness of their Savior. For several years June coordinated an inter­denominational and evangelistic monthly women’s ministry in Highlands County.  Throughout their lives and ministry, June and Ian praised the Lord for His faithfulness and magnified His name together.

A memorial service is scheduled for Monday, September 20, 2021 at 10:00 in the Chapel at SIM’s Retirement Village (off Schlosser Road in Sebring). The family asks that, In lieu of flowers, gifts in June’s memory be given toward sending more missionaries. She loved flowers, but she loved sharing Jesus far more. To give online, go to www.simusa.org/give , then select “Send More Workers” (SIM Project G505057). To give by mail, send a check payable to SIM USA to SIM USA Donor Care PO Box 7900 Charlotte NC 28241-7900 (please note SIM Project G505057 on the memo line).

Arrangements entrusted to:

Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home

4001 Sebring Parkway

Sebring, FL 33870

Online condolences may be left at:

www.stephensonnelsonfh.com