Carroll Edward Jay, 1921-1992

My father was born in West Virginia on April 21, 1921, and it was there that he met the woman he would marry and spend more than 50 years of his life with. His early years were filled with a variety of experiences: from semipro baseball player and professional umpire to chief of police and schoolteacher/coach. His love of sports was there to the end. He also served his country with distinction as a lieutenant in the Army during World War II. The call of God upon him would not rest, however, and in 1955 he gave answer and became a lay preacher. He became a probationer in 1956 and was ordained a minister in full connection of the Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1959. He served appointments in Alabama and Ohio while pursuing his education but in 1972 we returned to Virginia where he served in four appointments until his retirement in 1991. Even after his retirement he remained in the pulpit and continued to serve until the time of his death from this world.

What will always be remembered about him, however, is his strength, courage and devotion. Dad had suffered 11 heart attacks from 1960 to 1971, and had quadruple bypass surgery in 1972, but he never gave up. For him, to live was Christ, and live he did. He continued to serve our Lord failhfully, sharing with others the riches of God's grace and love that he had so fully experienced. He could lift the lowliest spirit with a word and a smile and he spent his life serving the Lord he loved by helping others find light when the darkness that often accompanies this existence had descended upon them.

The later years of his ministry saw him still plagued with heart problems and he suffered from back problems and a stroke. Still, he continued on to minister to those given to his care. It was a reciprocal love and he and my mother decided to retire in Patrick Springs. It was there he began to build, on his own, their retirement home. Despite the physical problems he had experienced, his courage and inner strength, that had marked his ministry for so long, continued to shine. Board by board, nail by nail, he built their home from the ground up. He was doing what he loved, working on the kitchen cabinets in the home he envisioned, when he was called to his great home. Dad "lived alive" and his life was a testimony to "keep on keeping on" to all who knew him. His loss is felt by us all but his example and influence will always be present, and the kingdom is brought ever closer to many because of this life that was lived, one that continues to live in the hearts and memories of all of us.

 

-Jesse L. Jay