An incredibly tough, powerful, hilarious, and loving man, who was a hero to five grandsons and two granddaughters.
Jay was born in very hard times in the Smokey Mountains, and like many young men of his time migrated north to find steady work, finally settling in Pennsylvania after WWII.
He had a long career as an iron worker, and had a hand in building many miles of interstate highway and bridges between Baltimore and Philadelphia before being disabled in a fall from an overpass on a construction site.
What would have killed a lesser man cost him a year long hospital stay and the use of one arm, forcing him into "retirement".
Jay's version of being retired and disabled involved tending to his several head of beef cattle every day, and even into his 60's, with only one arm, his grown grandsons had trouble keeping up with him in the barn.
Jay was born in very hard times in the Smokey Mountains, and like many young men of his time migrated north to find steady work, finally settling in Pennsylvania after WWII.
He had a long career as an iron worker, and had a hand in building many miles of interstate highway and bridges between Baltimore and Philadelphia before being disabled in a fall from an overpass on a construction site.
What would have killed a lesser man cost him a year long hospital stay and the use of one arm, forcing him into "retirement".
Jay's version of being retired and disabled involved tending to his several head of beef cattle every day, and even into his 60's, with only one arm, his grown grandsons had trouble keeping up with him in the barn.
An incredibly tough, powerful, hilarious, and loving man, who was a hero to five grandsons and two granddaughters.
Jay was born in very hard times in the Smokey Mountains, and like many young men of his time migrated north to find steady work, finally settling in Pennsylvania after WWII.
He had a long career as an iron worker, and had a hand in building many miles of interstate highway and bridges between Baltimore and Philadelphia before being disabled in a fall from an overpass on a construction site.
What would have killed a lesser man cost him a year long hospital stay and the use of one arm, forcing him into "retirement".
Jay's version of being retired and disabled involved tending to his several head of beef cattle every day, and even into his 60's, with only one arm, his grown grandsons had trouble keeping up with him in the barn.
Jay was born in very hard times in the Smokey Mountains, and like many young men of his time migrated north to find steady work, finally settling in Pennsylvania after WWII.
He had a long career as an iron worker, and had a hand in building many miles of interstate highway and bridges between Baltimore and Philadelphia before being disabled in a fall from an overpass on a construction site.
What would have killed a lesser man cost him a year long hospital stay and the use of one arm, forcing him into "retirement".
Jay's version of being retired and disabled involved tending to his several head of beef cattle every day, and even into his 60's, with only one arm, his grown grandsons had trouble keeping up with him in the barn.
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