Kry Lay

Viewing: July 9, 2021, 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Memorial Service: July 10, 2021, at 10:00 am

Mr. Kry Lay is widely recognized as one of the founding fathers of the Cambodian community in Long Beach, California. A lifelong student of Buddhism and Khmer culture, Lay was a scholar and philosopher who found his calling as a community leader. A true visionary, Lay helped establish the infrastructure for social support services, religious institutions, and educational curricula that allowed Cambodian refugees to assimilate to and thrive in their new country. He led efforts on several fronts to address the needs of the growing Cambodian American population, assuming leadership roles in the establishment of the Cambodian Association of America, the South East Asian Learners Project for the Long Beach Unified School District, and Watt Vipassanaram, the first Cambodian temple in Long Beach.

Lay was born in Oudong, Cambodia to Mr. Lay Thiem and Mrs. Lim Long. As a youth, he was ordained as a Buddhist monk at Watt Tep Branam in Kompong Speu. He excelled as a theology student at the Buddhist University in Phnom Penh and served as a monk for twelve years. During his monkhood, Lay wrote three books – Ariya Dravya, or Noble Wealth (1964), Power of Unity (1967), and Religion and State (1971) and received a personal commendation from King Norodom Sihanouk for his work.

Lay received his Bachelor of Arts from Preah Sihanouk Raja Buddhist University, in Phnom Penh, and his Master of Arts in History and Political Science from Poona University in India. His doctoral dissertation focused on the politics and administration of ancient Cambodia. The fall of Cambodia in 1975 forced him to curtail his studies and seek political asylum in the United States. He settled in Long Beach, California, with his wife, Phansuna, whom he had met at the University of Poona.

Lay’s arrival in the United States marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life, driven by a new purpose: to help refugees acclimate to and embrace life in the United States, while establishing a community that preserved and honored the Cambodian culture.

Lay played a prominent role in the formation of the Cambodian Association of America (CAA), acting as the organization’s longest-serving Chairman. He remained a dedicated board member for 37 years, working to assist Cambodian refugees in Southern California in acculturating to life in America, while preserving the Cambodian culture, customs, and values. Today, the CAA serves 45,000 people annually, extending beyond Cambodians to provide resources to the broader community.

Continuing his Buddhist service, Lay co-founded Watt Vipassanaram, Long Beach’s first Cambodian temple, and acted as its president for ten years. A lifelong supporter of the Vipassana Centers in Cambodia and in the United States, he contributed to the building of houses, wells, monuments, and temples.

Lay established himself as an expert on the education of Southeast Asian refugees, playing a foundational role in the South East Asian Learners Project within the Long Beach Unified School District. Over his 24 years as an instructional associate and consultant, Lay and his colleagues addressed the unique needs of refugee students and developed the first bilingual Khmer-English curriculum in California for students in grades K-12. In over two decades with the LBUSD, Lay taught, counseled, and inspired thousands of Cambodian children.

Lay’s educational work and service extended far beyond the school district. He taught a course on Indo-Chinese culture at California State University Long Beach from 1979 to 1982, and he was invited to speak at conferences across the country. He also served as a special advisor to the State Department of Education on the education of Cambodian refugees. For several years, he was a board member of the Long Beach Chapter of the American Red Cross.

He never stopped practicing Vipassana meditation, redoubling his efforts in his later years by translating several books from English to Khmer with his wife. Together, they translated The Art of Living, The Clock of Vipassana Has Struck, Kamma and Its Fruits, Vedana and Sampajanna, and The Art of Dying.

Lay is survived by his wife, Phansuna; their three daughters, Suny, Sudhir, and Munika; his sister, Lay Thiem Ngov Muoy; four grandchildren; and numerous nephews and nieces. His three older brothers passed away in Cambodia.

If desired, donations may be made directly to the family for construction of the Preah Vihear temple located at Watt Buddhikaram in Long Beach.