Comments on: Remembering Jay

By: Lynda Zarrow

Lynda Zarrow — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 02:25:10 +0000

My husband met Jay thru softball and then we realized that Lisa was my aerobics teacher (when she was pregnant with Matt). My best memories of Jay are from the Our Gang parties, when he and Irwin would do their take off on Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon (complete with turban and bad jokes). What a great guy!!!

By: Mark Edward Jellison

Mark Edward Jellison — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 16:25:59 +0000

Could my Dad really tear a phone book in half?,…or was that some crazy trick he did! He definately hung me from his finger and lifted me off the ground though. How come all my body weight didn’t make him fart even though when i just pulled on it, it did!?!?

Can’t wait to see everyone when I get back from California!
-mark

By: Coni Russell

Coni Russell — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:46:25 +0000

So many memories - it’s difficult to choose, but one of my favorite’s is Jay and Dave “fishing” with the decor at Palmer’s in Andover - we thought we were going to be thrown out! Another (might have been the same evening) is playing Bop It on the sidewalk in front of Palmer’s after a few adult beverages. One of the best friends ever!

By: Karen Tierney Johnson

Karen Tierney Johnson — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:04:55 +0000

…all I am going to say is the long flannel nightgown. Louisa Lee will remember.
Karen

By: Gene Rosenthall

Gene Rosenthall — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 13:30:36 +0000

Seeing that Jay hated long distance runs as Lisa pointed out, I think next year we should have a 1 mile swim, as my memories of Jay’s love for the water and the gracefulness of him in it will always be etched in my mind!
I miss him…

By: Laura Rosenthall Schultz

Laura Rosenthall Schultz — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 20:07:40 +0000

Floods of memories…… I was the official “beer fetcher” if I was hanging out with Lisa and Jay on the weekends, not fetching so much for Lisa, and no, I never did fetch any Budweiser. Jay had zero patience for crowds and traffic but still took me to concerts and fireworks whenever I was home in the summer. We tried to set records with Kadima, a paddle ball game we played on the front lawn in NH. We had to to get to 100 volleys and would be unable to eat dinner until then.
He always asked, “How is the Army?” when I came home on leave from the Navy.
“Mow de Lawn” French for “Cut the Grass”
“Disco Sucks” ….. He encouraged me to get a sports watch to start timing my runs when I was 19 and I have been running ever since.
That is all that occurs to me right this moment! See you at the race!
Laura

By: Linda Russell Veneto

Linda Russell Veneto — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 03:38:01 +0000

I have so many memories of Jay but one in particular that really sticks out is when we had gone to hear music street play at the horeshoe in North Reading on St. Patricks Day. My sister had admired a sign they had on the wall and Jay went right over took it off the wall and stole it! I’m pretty sure she still has it. Jay was always like an uncle to me and always made us laugh. He still does. I’ll see you all at the race!

By: Lisa Jellison

Lisa Jellison — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 20:59:57 +0000

Jay had so many puns, it’s hard to remember only one funny thing! I know I can’t remember the real lyrics for many songs to this day, as Jay had many of his own words. Some I can’t share with his sons, and if you knew Jay, you know what I mean. It’s quite ironic that now 8 years later, we still honor Jay with a 5K road race when he hated long distance so much. But I know he’d be so amazed at the numbers of people who return each year for this race. He’d love to share a beer with you all, as long as it wasn’t a Budweiser!

By: kath

**kath** — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:44:26 +0000

Favorite memories of Jay:
arguing about who was better: The Beatles or the The Monkees
his strongman demonstrations: hanging his nieces/nephews from his pinky finger
the school song
Froggy!