Longtime Port Washington Resident, Loving Matriarch Dies At 96

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — Jayne Charles Jay, a Port Washington resident of more than 70 years, has died. She was 96.

Jay passed away at her Port Washington home on April 20, just 10 days shy of her 97th birthday, according to family members. She was surrounded by her closest children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. A burial service was held at her family's summer home in North River on Aug. 14.

"It seems impossible to all of us that she is no longer with us," family members said in a statement. "She will be greatly missed by all her loved ones."

Born and raised in Washington Heights, Jay was considered a bright student and a talented writer, garnering many awards before she even finished grammar school. She won a myriad of writing contests in New York City, one of which included a radio appearance. Her grandfather, Christopher Walsh, would often brag to his family and friends about hearing Jay read her story on the radio.

After graduating from Fordham University with honors, Jay went to Columbia University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and was one of the few women in her class, according to family. She then kicked off her career as an editor and writer for Sadlier Publishing Company in New York City.

She met her husband, Frank Peter Jay, while an undergraduate at Fordham University. They got married in 1947, and together raised nine children who relatives say were the center of their world. After raising them, Jay resumed her career as a writer and editor for several publications, including The New York Times, before retiring.

The couple resided in Port Washington, but summered at their family home in North River, where Jay was eventually laid to rest. Jay and her husband were married for 70 years, until his death in February 2017.

"Jayne was an indomitable personality that loved nothing more than her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren," her family said in a statement. "She was a very social woman who loved hosting her 'Happy Hour' ('H.H.,' as she said) cocktail parties right up to a week before her passing.

"She was a wonderful cook and an incredible baker. While summering in the Adirondacks she would whip up fresh-picked raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, or apple pie at a moment's notice, to the delight of her family."