Jay Murray

Jay A. Murray passed away on June 11th, 2025, at the age of 57, after a difficult 10-year battle with pancreatic cancer. On that day, a beloved husband, dad, brother, son, uncle, and chef was taken from his family and the world far too soon.

Originally hailing from Montreal, Canada, Jay spent most of his upbringing bouncing around state to state, picking up new experiences. He attended Hampshire College, where, in 1990, he met his future wife, Erika, his lifelong partner and best friend. Meeting through mutuals, they quickly became close. After graduating, Erika moved to Chicago to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Jay soon followed his heart and landed there as well.

In Chicago, Jay began to get his feet wet in the dining world, working for a large restaurant group and contacting chefs he admired, some whom graciously sat down with him and offered advice. The couple got married in Connecticut in 1994 and then relocated back to Massachusetts. Jay and Erika had their first child, Owen, in 2001, followed shortly by Sam in 2005.

Jay shared and honed his culinary talent through positions in many kitchens before taking on a more permanent executive chef gig in Boston, where he stayed for nearly twenty years, until shortly after his cancer diagnosis. Jay was also proud to have cooked at the James Beard House in NYC on two occasions, a prestigious honor reserved for the most talented chefs. Post diagnosis, Jay continued his culinary work in various kitchens, earning his moniker of "the professor" from those whom he mentored. Jay was interested in the cultural origins of all foods and was a walking encyclopedia of culinary knowledge, which he shared freely.

In 2015, Jay was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. Jay was a fighter, undergoing a Whipple Procedure, radiation, and chemotherapy that put his cancer into remission for the first time. The next ten years were a long-fought battle of relapses, remissions, and treatments, with him vastly defying odds every time, alongside a dedicated team of caregivers supporting him.

In late 2024, Jay's cancer returned once again, and he was quickly falling extremely ill. In April 2025, Jay expressed a desire to spend as much time as he could with the people he loved and to go out on his terms. Stopping treatment, Jay was set up with a hospice bed in his home. He spent his remaining time surrounded by love.

Jay reveled in offering his time generously, from well-attended neighborhood cookouts, dinners auctioned for many charities, and innumerable catered special events for loved ones. Jay lived and breathed food and shared his passion as a way to offer love, community, and joy. His legacy will live on in the many, many hearts, minds, and kitchens of the people whom he taught, cooked with and for, and loved.

Jay is survived by his mother, Mary Murray, his siblings Rick and Sandra, his nieces Lindsay, Katherine, and Jill, many friends and mentees, and his wife, Erika Lally, and their two sons, Owen and Sam. Jay's father, Ian Murray, passed away in 2022.

The family asks that any donations be made in Jay's name to any charity of your choice. Jay's MealTrain page is also still open, should you prefer to support the family that way.