Ken Lay died this morning of a heart attack while visiting in CO. Ken was a friend of mine for over 30 years and regardless of his recent legal problems was a civic and business leader in Houston when Houston needed it the most. Ken Lay helped the Houston area in many ways. His leadership was important in moving Houston forward.

Now the Federal Government will have to decide what to do with funds that would have gone to his wife and family. Perhaps it is time to leave the Lay family alone?

Ken Lay will be missed.

Here is the KHOU story:

"Ken Lay dead of massive heart attack

09:17 AM CDT on Wednesday, July 5, 2006

From 11 News Staff Reports & Associated Press

Former Enron CEO Ken Lay has died of a massive heart attack in Aspen.

He was there with his family awaiting sentencing after being convicted in May.

Lay could have received up to 45 years in federal prison on the six counts of fraud and conspiracy. He faced another possible 120 years after being found guilty of bank fraud and making false statements in a separate trial.

Lay, 64, was born in Tyrone, Mo. and spent his childhood helping his family make ends meet. His father ran a general store and sold stoves until he became a minister. Lay delivered newspapers and mowed lawns to pitch in. He attended the University of Missouri, found his calling in economics, and went to work at Exxon Mobil Corp. predecessor Humble Oil & Refining upon graduation.

He joined the Navy, served his time at the Pentagon, and then served as undersecretary for the Department of the Interior before he returned to business. He became an executive at Florida Gas, then Transco Energy in Houston, and later became CEO of Houston Natural Gas. In 1985, HNG merged with InterNorth in Omaha, Neb. to form Enron, and Lay became chairman and CEO of the combined company the next year.

During his recent trial, jurors also got a glimpse of who Lay was before the Enron scandal forced him to resign from corporate boards, rein in philanthropy and be labeled a pariah by many in the city where politicians, charities and civic leaders once cultivated him.

"I've not only pursued the American dream, I've achieved it. I suppose we could say the last few years, I've also achieved the American nightmare," Lay testified.

Lay still had friends among Houston's elite, but his clout was long gone.

"I thought Ken was visionary for Enron, visionary for the city," former Houston Mayor Bob Lanier testified on his behalf.

Lay's contributions to the nation's fourth-largest city are numerous. He and his wife, Linda, donated millions to various causes and Lay was a key player in several civic issues, including passage of a referendum that brought a new ballpark for the Houston Astros.

But Lay's influence evaporated when Enron became a punchline.

Lay insisted Enron wasn't corrupt and blamed the company's downfall on bad press and colluding short sellers.

He calls Enron's fall that left thousands jobless "the most devastating and heartbreaking tragedy of my life." He told jurors his and his wife's onetime $400 million net worth, which mainly consisted of Enron stock, is "all gone."