Wilson Alvin Jay, 67, of Pensacola passed away in Elberta on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015 from lung cancer.
Wilson was born in Uriah on May 5, 1947. He moved to Pensacola at a young age with his family. He graduated high school in Pensacola and later attended San Jacinto Junior College in Houston, Texas.
Wilson honorably served his six years in the U.S. Army Reserves.
He became an operations manual technical writer, beginning his career with Stewart & Stevenson in Houston, Texas, specializing in MIL SPECs manuals for U.S. Government contracts. Most notably he worked on the manuals for the SCUD missile launchers in the 1980s.
He retired in 2009 but continued his love of writing by devoting his time, talents and interests in telling true stories of the South on his website www.jayssouth.com.
Wilson loved nothing more than enjoying coffee and talking with friends, especially at the Waffle Houses in Alabama and the Kettles in Texas.
As Wilson penned and copyrighted many poems, songs, stories and articles, none gave him more pleasure than creating a series of writings and life instructions for his four grandchildren, whom he deemed the “Baggy Butt Brigade.” The “brigade” lovingly followed their “general” (Grampy) on fishing trips, seashell hunting on the beautiful Florida beaches and hikes through the parks and out-of-the-way climbs to find the right place to dig for treasures using their metal detectors.
Preceding Wilson in death were his parents, Arthur Thomas Jay and Bessie Lee (Brown) Jay; brother, Arthur Junior Jay; sister, Thomasine (Chris) Russell; mother-in-law, Irene Haven; infant niece, Rebecca Paul; and two brothers-in-law, Burnie Owens Paul and Bill Spring.
Survivors include his only child, daughter Carrie Leigh (Rich) Jay-Geisinger; and their four children, Simon Jay H., Gideon Haven H., Adeline Morrigan H. and Gunnar Armistead Geisinger; Carrie’s mother and his best friend, Christine Haven, of Pennsylvania; stepsons, James M. Howard and Jesse F. Howard of Texas; his brother, Terrell Jay of Pensacola; sisters, Ann Paul and Carol Spring of Pensacola and Freda Von Klau of Foley; along with numerous nieces and nephews.
Pastor Ben Peters will be officiating at Wilson’s memorial service on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015, at 1 p.m., Grace Assembly of God, 6117 W. Fairfield Dr. in Pensacola.
All friends and acquaintances are encouraged to come to his memorial service, as you were the highlight of Wilson’s days.
His final resting place is Pensacola Memorial Gardens.
The family wishes to express their heartfelt thank you to cousin, Buddy Chunn, and nephew, Russell Paul, for their generosity on the cemetery arrangements through Pensacola Memorial Gardens.
Arrangements by Wolfe-Bayview Funeral Home, Elberta.
