Login | May 05, 2024
Attorney and community activist Karl S. Hay remembered
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: June 17, 2022
Known for his exemplary volunteerism, colleagues of former Brouse McDowell Partner Karl S. Hay say he gave new meaning to the popular quote, “Leave this world a little better than you found it.”
As one of the first lawyers in the Akron area to utilize industrial revenue bond financing to bankroll large-scale commercial real estate developments, Hay played an integral role in the formation of the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau and the construction of the John S. Knight Center, said former Brouse McDowell Managing Partner Jeff Heintz.
“Without Karl, neither one of these structures would exist,” said Heintz. “Karl was a visionary, who saw the value of a convention and visitors bureau for attracting tourists to the Akron-Summit County area. He lobbied to get an occupancy tax enacted, the bureau’s share of which goes toward supporting tourism here.
“He’s also responsible for generating the enthusiasm necessary to build the Knight Center, helping to raise the money to build it debt-free, overseeing the construction and serving on the board for many years.
“Karl had a terrific personality and was beyond generous with his time both in the community and at the firm,” said Heintz. “He mentored many young attorneys and improved the greater Akron area in countless ways during his lifetime.”
On May 7, Hay passed away after a long illness while surrounded by his family. He was 94.
“Dad loved our family,” said Hay’s second eldest daughter Karen Chadwick. “My youngest sister Kristin Ives remembers fondly that we had an RV in the ‘60s and took many fun family trips.
“Dad loved reading, playing golf and watching Ohio State Buckeyes football,” said Chadwick. “My parents used to joke that dad got to name the girls and mom got to the name the boys, only all four of their children are girls.”
Brouse McDowell Partner Richard H. Harris III described Hay as “a standout lawyer,” and a “dedicated” family man.
“I knew Karl long before I started practicing at Brouse McDowell because three of his daughters went to the same college that I attended,” said Harris, co-chair of the trusts & estates practice group. “He was a very good father, who cared deeply about his children and was very proud of their accomplishments.
“When I started practicing at Brouse he was a great mentor to me,” said Harris. “The things I admired the most about Karl were his community involvement and excellent lawyering skills.
“He was highly regarded among his peers and the community at large,” said Harris. “He was one of the greats in this town.”
Born in Canton, Ohio on March 2, 1928, he was Sarah (Hanna) and Karl S. Hay Sr.’s only child.
Hay spent most of his life in Akron, graduating from Buchtel High School in 1945.
He attended The Ohio State University, where he majored in finance and earned his law degree from the institution now known as Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1952.
On Dec. 22, 1951, he married Ellen Freitag Hay. They raised four daughters.
Hay began his legal career as an associate at the firm now known as Brouse McDowell in 1955, where he focused on corporate law and commercial real estate. Hay retired from Brouse in the fall of 2002.
Prior to starting at Brouse, Hay served as the comptroller at his father-in-law’s business Freitag Manufacturing Co.
Former Brouse McDowell Managing Partner Jerry F. Whitmer, now of counsel at the firm, said Hay was a “very, capable qualified lawyer.”
When he first met Hay, Whitmer was working for Roetzel, Hunsicker & Michaels and Hay was an attorney at Brouse, McDowell, May, Bierce & Wortman. The two firms later merged to form Brouse McDowell.
“We were opposing counsel on cases,” said Whitmer. “He was a formidable opponent, who later became a very good partner and a friend. He was the ultimate lawyer when it came to giving back to his community. In fact, he did more for community organizations than any other attorney I know of.
“The firm later created an award in his name for attorneys at the firm who demonstrate exemplary community service as he did.”
Brouse McDowell Partner John C. Fairweather said Hay was very welcoming to him when he started as a summer law clerk at Brouse in 1976.
“It meant a great deal to me because he was a leader in the firm,” said Fairweather.
“Karl was a mentor to everyone at the firm by the example he set,” said Fairweather, who focuses on litigation. “Integrity was a given with Karl. He dealt with people in an honest, straightforward fashion and he expected everyone to deal with him in a similar manner.
“Karl was a very busy guy. He had a large practice and many commitments in the community, but he always had time for you. Whether you were seeking advice or simply stopping by to say hello, he always stopped what he was doing and made time for you.
“He was very concerned about doing the right thing,” he said. “Naturally he was a serious gentleman but he also had a wonderful sense of humor. He was a close friend of Oscar Hunsicker, a partner at Brouse and the two of them often played jokes on one another. It was particularly fun for the associates to watch.
“He was a great guy,” said Fairweather.
Brouse McDowell Administrative Assistant Claire Hamlin described Hay as “an incredible man,” who was full of life.
“I never worked directly for Karl, but I knew his daughters,” said Hamlin. “He was a pillar at Brouse McDowell and very instrumental in making Akron a better place to live.”
A longtime member of the Akron and Ohio State bar associations, Hay sat on many corporate and nonprofit boards over the years, serving as chair or president at numerous organizations, including the Greater Akron Chamber, United Way of Summit County, the Red Cross, Old Trail School, the Summit County Historical Society, Planned Parenthood and the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau, where he chaired the board for over 20 years.
Hay helped raise $27 million for the establishment of the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron. A room has been dedicated in his honor.
Gregg Mervis, president and chief executive officer of the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau, which manages the John S. Knight Center described Hay as “a visionary,” who realized early on the positive economic impact that a meeting or convention center would have on Akron.
“The convention and visitors bureau opened in 1972 and as it evolved we realized the need, through Karl’s vision for a convention center,” said Mervis. “Karl was a special person; focused, driven and compassionate. They don’t make them like that anymore.”
In 1992, Akron Community Foundation presented Hay with the Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award and that same year he received an Alumni Citizenship Award from The Ohio State University.
In 2002, Brouse McDowell started the Karl S. Hay Community Service Award program. Each year, a Brouse lawyer, paralegal or support staff member is presented with the accolade in recognition of his or her community service. Recipients designate a charity of their choice to receive a monetary donation from the firm.
Stark & Knoll Co-founder Tom Knoll said Hay was “a consummate gentleman,” and an excellent role model both in terms of his professionalism and community service.
The two got to know one another through the Akron Bar Association.
“As a young lawyer, Karl and other seasoned attorneys inspired me to become involved in the community,” said Knoll. “I later took on leadership roles as Karl did.
“He spent his life contributing to numerous organizations while also servicing the needs of a prestigious client base.”
After living in the same home in Fairlawn Heights for over 50 years, Hay and his wife moved to Concordia at Sumner (then known as Sumner on Ridgewood) in 2011.
“When Karl told me he was going to sell the house, I was the receiver for Sumner,” said Heintz. “I was surprised by the news, but once Karl made his mind up to do something, he did it.
“Within a month or so, he was virtually running the place,” said Heintz. “Karl had an innate ability to draw people in. He would light up the room the moment he walked in. I saw that at the firm, the bar, in the community and then at Sumner.”
A celebration of life was held for Hay on May 21 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Akron.
Hay is survived by his wife Ellen Freitag Hay; daughters Karla Diserens (Robert) of Tuckahoe, New York, Karen Chadwick (Robert) of Fairlawn, Ohio, Kathryn Lekas (Nick) of Hudson, Ohio and Kristin Ives of Radnor, Pennsylvania; 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.