David Allan Ley

David Allan Ley, age 84, of Staunton, Virginia, passed away on August 28, 2024 with his wife, Colleen (Windorf) Ley, by his side. 
     Born on July 31, 1940 in Glasgow, Scotland, he was the son of James Smith Ley and Catherine Grace Black Allan Ley.
     Besides Colleen, his beloved wife and soulmate of 46 years, David is survived by, and the proud, loving father of Christine Chantal Ley and Douglas Allan Ley, both of San Diego, CA. He was pleased to have passed along to them his passion for travel, interest in other cultures, sports, and appreciation for the arts.
     Other loved ones he leaves behind are his much loved sister, Moira Clark, of Clarkston, Scotland, as well as extended family members and many friends living in Scotland, U.S., Canada, and New Zealand. He had a special 57 year, close relationship with his best man, and lifelong good buddy, Ken McCleary.
     Dearest Cheryl Windorf, who was his sister-in-law by chance, and cherished friend by choice, was always there for him unconditionally. In his last years, he also felt fortunate to have his kindhearted "bro" Douglas George, to share lots of laughs and camaraderie.
     David was an ardent international traveler. It started at an early age when his parents would take him and his sister Moira on road trips through (post war) France, Belgium, Italy, Germany. Traveling extensively all his life, he found that he would inevitably return countless times to his beloved France and his "second home" New Zealand.
     As a young boy, David had a passion for swimming, running, and biking which he continued enjoying his entire life. His competitive spirit stood him well, winning medals and trophies in both swimming, as well as 5 & 10K races; one high point was finishing well in the 1987 Paris Marathon. As an avid cyclist, he cycled across France several times, including mastering the challenging Alps.
     With a zest for life, David had many interests besides travel and sports, including gardening, music, cooking, geopolitics, international antiques & fine arts, nonfiction reading, and onomastics. Meeting people from all walks of life always came effortlessly to him. With his interest in name origins, he was able to easily 'break the ice' when meeting someone, being inquisitive about their given and family names, trying to identify their names' origins, meanings, and ancestral ties.
     As a young man in Scotland, David worked at a bank for 3 years and was a camp counselor to French & German teenagers in France for two summers. He also taught third grade for two years, and worked in various positions in hotels. David then, at age 23, attended Scottish Hotel School (Strathclyde University) in Glasgow. When finishing school, in 1966, he was offered a scholarship to go to the States.
     At Michigan State University, he obtained his MBA and Ph.D. degrees. Since he enjoyed teaching the third graders in Scotland, and with a partiality for the hotel industry, Dr. Ley made his career objective to teaching Hotel Restaurant Management at university. Over the next 25 years, he taught at Central Michigan University, Michigan State University, University of New Hampshire, and James Madison University. He met Colleen at CMU in 1974, when he and his buddy & fellow professor, Ken McCleary, co-taught their first Hotel Restaurant Management class. She was one of their students and he was quite smitten with her from the beginning, as she was with him.
     Teaching at university, Dr. Ley was well liked by his students and recognized for his dedication and enthusiasm for teaching; he particularly liked mentoring students with an empathetic ear. He was Director of the JMU Studies Abroad program in Paris, France for a number of years. Also, he took student groups to travel and experience Europe in numerous summer sessions, prior to his retirement in 1998, as JMU professor emeritus.
     In his retirement, David and Colleen enjoyed sharing an antiques business; he relished "the hunt" for international, especially that rare piece of Asian art, German steins, or fine wood carvings. They attended countless auctions and scoped out endless shops for those buried treasures.
     At this sad time, David would want us all to remember the good times we shared with him. As per his wishes, there will be no service held; his body will be cremated. The immediate family will commemorate his life privately. A photo collection with some highlights of his life can be seen in the Lifetime Photos video below.
In lieu of flowers or service, it is suggested that family and friends enjoy a nice meal with loved ones & make their own special toast to him. If desired, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association:
https://bit.ly/3X5Szdb

     Coffman Funeral Home and Crematory, 230 Frontier Drive, Staunton is in charge of his arrangements.