Norman Jay Vance, Jr.

Norman Jay Vance, Jr.1947 - 2019

SOUTH PORTLAND - Norman Jay Vance, Jr., 71, of South Portland, Maine, unexpectedly passed away on April 15, 2019, at his residence.

Jay was born in Portland, Maine, on November 26, 1947, the son of the late Norman J. and L. Bernice (Cook) Vance. Jay graduated from South Portland High School in 1966 as a football co-captain and class officer. He earned football All State status in his senior year. He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono, where he also played football and was a member of Phi Eta Kappa Fraternity. He received his Bachelor’s in Education Degree in 1970. He served in the Maine Army National Guard for six years. On January 25, 1969, he married his wife of 50 years, Martha Chadwick. Jay taught English at Rockland High School and was an assistant football coach before heading back to school for his Master’s in Education Degree. He taught English and was the head football coach at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield for two years before being offered an English position and assistant football coaching position at So. Portland High School. After nine years, he left teaching and entered into the insurance field where he managed the Brooks Insurance Agency’s Gorham office, Newell and Smith for 17 years. While in Gorham Jay and his son, Michael, started the Gorham High School football program. He eventually left the insurance business and returned to teaching at Scarborough High School where he also coached football, retiring in 2015.

Jay spent the next few years traveling the country with his wife and attending every sporting event his grandchildren were involved in, along with dance and piano recitals. He was an incredibly proud father of four and grandfather to his six granddaughters and grandson and was looking forward to the arrival of another granddaughter in September. To them he was their “Bampie” and they adored him. He coached several of his children’s sports teams, spent countless hours practicing with his kids and was their biggest fan, never missing the many sporting events they participated in.

Jay had a keen interest in literature, primarily nonfiction. He was known for his wit and dry sense of humor and was a devoted Red Sox, Patriots and University of Maine football fan. He was also an accomplished artist over the past 17 years finding his niche in pen and ink drawings and also watercolor. He participated in Art in the Park in South Portland for the last two summers.

Jay is survived by his wife, Martha (Chadwick) Vance; son, Michael J. Vance, his wife Mercedes and their daughters, Abigail and Grace of Scarborough; son, Daniel S. Vance, his wife Jacqueline and their daughters Helen and Suzanna of Bend, OR; daughter, Lauren Sawyer, her husband Scott, and their daughters Emma and Ava of Scarborough; and daughter Meghan Potts, her husband Nicholas and their son Bryant of Windham; his brother Stephen Vance and his wife Gloria of Harpswell and brother David Vance and his wife Nancy of Bluffton, SC. He is also survived by several loving nieces and nephews. Jay is predeceased by his brother Philip Vance of Cumberland ME.

A funeral will be held Tuesday, April 23, 2019 at Hobbs Funeral Home, 230 Cottage Rd., South Portland, ME 04106 with visiting hours from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., funeral service from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., and a reception will follow. Interment will be held at a later date. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.hobbsfuneralhome.com.