The Lord lost one of his most loyal servants when on this Wednesday, May 26. Robert Edward (Bob) Ley passed peacefully in his sleep among the prayers and well-wishes of friends and family at St. Francis Hospital in Grand Island, Nebraska. He was an enigmatically witty 86 years old. Born November 13, 1923 in Hastings, NE, the son of John J & Georgia (Hellman) Ley. He graduated from St. Cecilias High School in 1941. Immediately following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Ley enlisted and he served as a Pilot in World War II flying in the Mediterranean, Europe, Africa and South America. After the war, Bob returned home and attended Hastings College where he set the single season scoring record in basketball. It was also there that he accomplished what he would later call his greatest feat he met his true love, Peggy Jones of Minden, NE. They married May 27, 1948 in David City, NE. Ley graduated from Hastings College in 1948 and later received his Masters in Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1956. Over the next 20 years following his graduation from college, Ley used his gifts as a beloved teacher, administrator and coach at Lawrence High School (1948 1958) and Central Catholic High School (1958 1969). It was during his time at Lawrence, that he also won the 6-Man State Football Championship as Head Coach in 1952. Over those twenty years, Bob also coached basketball, track and Grand Island Legion Baseball. He amassed over 120 victories as a head football coach with Lawrence and CCHS. In 1969 Ley went to work as a broker for First Mid-America/Paine Webber, where he remained until 1989. His greatest joys in his remaining years were substitute teaching, coaching and spending time with his family and dedicated friends. Other Notables: at Central Catholic, his girls golf team won the Class C Girls Golf State Championship two times and he was named Coach of the Year in 2000 by the Nebraska State Coaches Association. He was a Charter Member of St. Leos Catholic Church (serving for many years on the Finance Committee, and as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister.) Bob has served as Chairman of the Grand Island Crime Stoppers, President of the Central Catholic HS Foundation Board (both Karnival Kapers and The Knight were his brainchild) and President of the Nebraska Senior Golf Association. He was an American Legion member and member of the Saddle Club. Bob and his wife Peggy, also a teacher at Central Catholic, were inducted into the Central Catholic Honorary Hall of Fame in 1990. Robert Edward Ley is survived by Margaret (Peggy) Ley, wife of 62 years, Robert John Ley and Barbara Ley, son and daughter-in-law of Brookfield, WI and Nathan and Daniel Jeffrey Ley, his two grandsons. He is preceded in death by his parents, an infant sister, a brother & sister-in-law, John & Anne Ley. Memorials, in lieu of flowers, should be made to: St. Leos Parish, the Central Catholic Fr. Hoelck Christopher Fund for Tuition Assistant, as well as the donors choice. Services will be Saturday, May 29, 2010, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Leos Catholic Church. The Rev. Charles L. Torpey will officiate. Private family burial will be at a later date. Visitation will be Friday, May 28, 2010, from 5 7 p.m. at St. Leos Catholic Church with a vigil service at 7:00 p.m. Curran Funeral Chapel is assisting with arrangements.