Family is at the heart of everything for Ron and Sue Hay. After more than two decades of involvement with Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch, Ron and Sue consider the organization like their family.

They first heard about Boys Ranch at a cowboy poetry event in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and visited for the first time in 2012 during the annual rodeo. Despite the unbearably hot weather, Ron and Sue immediately felt at peace.

“The first time we drove from the highway down the road into the ranch, tears started flowing down our cheeks. We weren’t hurt, sad, or miserable. It was Holy Ghost tears. The anointing of the Spirit of the Living God was so powerful that we couldn’t help but let the tears flow,” Ron said. “We knew right away there was something special about Boys Ranch. You could feel the love.”

Over the years, the relationship Ron and Sue built with the staff at Boys Ranch developed into a family-like bond. Long before Boys Ranch became part of their family, Ron and Sue began their lives together. Having known each other while growing up in Illinois, they went on their first date on Jan. 19, 1959.

“Her dad and mom were hosting a sledding party for Sue and some of her friends, including her youth group. In addition, she invited me, which I thought was wonderful,” Ron said.

“We went zooming down the hill, got to the bottom, and I don’t know why, but there was a wreck. We both ended up off the sled in the snow. To this day, I swear she kissed me, but she denies it. She says we just kissed. We still laugh about it.”

Since that day, they have been “Ron and Sue.”

“We’ve never been apart since,” Ron said.

“There probably weren’t three or four people in the whole world who thought Ron and Sue would still be married after five years, but here we are.”

Now married for 64 years, their journey together included college, raising two daughters, and Ron earning a Ph.D. Money was tight, but they made it work. Once Ron completed his education, he became a professor.

They eventually settled in Tennessee, where Ron worked in the Forestry Department at the University of Tennessee. Although he retired in 2002, he continued teaching part-time before leaving the university in 2006.

Throughout it all, Sue stood by Ron’s side, raising their daughters, managing their home, and supporting Ron at professional meetings. Ron said that Sue has a “Ph.T.” – “Putting Hubby Through” – signed by Duke University’s Dean of the School of Forestry.

“It’s never been Ron. It’s never been Sue. It’s always been Ron and Sue. We’ve always been a team,” Ron said.

“When the Lord said He makes two become one, He succeeded with us.”

Now with two grown, married daughters, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, Ron and Sue also count Boys Ranch among their extended family. Their home features furniture made by the boys and girls in the woodworking program.

“In all our travels, we almost always drove wherever we went, and we went lots of places. Everywhere we went, I collected lumber,” Ron said.

“I was always fascinated with wood and eventually took up woodworking as a hobby. We started donating lumber to Boys Ranch, and over the years, thousands of board feet of lumber have gone from our barn to Boys Ranch.”

While much of the donated wood has been used for various projects, some items have made their way back to Tennessee. One piece was a gift from the students, and another was purchased by Ron and Sue at the President’s Appreciation Luncheon during the annual rodeo. Both are proudly displayed in the 1858 log cabin portion of their home that Ron and Sue restored in 2006.

Though they often travel to Boys Ranch for the annual rodeo, Ron and Sue have also hosted a barbecue for the children and staff when visiting Tennessee for cowboy poetry events.

“It thrills us to see the kids,” Sue said. “They look happy. I don’t know what their surroundings were before they got there, but whatever they were, they seem happy at Boys Ranch.”

When Ron and Sue donate to Boys Ranch, they often specify where they want the funds to go, such as the woodworking or chapel programs.

Recently, they donated to the general fund so the money could be used where it was needed most. The reason behind their gifts is as varied as the needs of Boys Ranch and the people who make it special.

“I want our gifts to go where I know they’ll do the most good. Often, we send a check to Cal Farley’s, but it’s so much more than a casual relationship with the people there,” Ron said.

“I’ve never met anyone at Cal Farley’s who thought what they were doing was just a job. Sue would agree with me that everyone we’ve ever encountered sees what they do as a ministry the Lord Jesus has called them to do.”