Jay Gordan Wolpe

Jay Gordon Wolpe, "J-Bird," passed away peacefully on February 3rd, 2024, at age 53 surrounded by his loved ones. Jay is survived by two daughters, Taylor and Jennifer Wolpe, his loving partner, Susan Stuart, his sister, Stacy Wolpe, his nieces, Ashley and Amanda Wolpe, and many extended family members and close friends that hold him dear to their hearts.
Jay was born in Southfield, Michigan on April 16th, 1970, to Michael and Barbara Wolpe. Growing up, Jay talked about his love for all Michigan sports teams, especially the University of Michigan Wolverines. His love for the Wolverines, however, did not outweigh his hatred of the cold and the hours he spent shoveling snow as a boy, so in 1984, Jay moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, where he attended Horizon High School. He then went on to complete a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at Arizona State University, his childhood dream school. Subsequently, he earned a Master of Science in Leadership at Grand Canyon University.
In 1999, Jay founded J. Gordon Development Company, where he was known for building beautiful high-end custom homes in North Scottsdale. In 2009, Jay transitioned into medical sales, where he worked his way up from Sales Manager to the Director of Sales at Diversified Medical Records.
Jay and his former wife, Kelli Short Borges, have two beautiful daughters, Taylor Wolpe, born August 24th, 1996, and Jennifer Wolpe, born July 22nd, 2000. For over 18 years, Jay spent most days cheering them on at their soccer games and tournaments, a great passion that they shared. He consistently showed up for any and all tryouts, games, and practices, and at times was the only parent watching, a devotion his daughters will never forget. Jay went on to meet his life partner, Susan Stuart and her daughter, Hannah Stuart, whom he loved and adored. He and Susan did a wonderful job blending families, and we will always be incredibly grateful to have spent his last days with him as one family unit.
Jay will forever be remembered as a loving son, dad, partner, uncle, and friend. He will also be remembered for his unwavering strength-working every day to carve a better future for his girls, immense support-showing up as his loved ones' biggest fan, and infectious humor-cracking endless jokes (usually without a filter!). His generosity and compassion for others was clear in his efforts to give back to the community through food and clothing drives. He made an impact on everyone around him, from loved ones to strangers, and will be dearly missed by all.
A celebration of life will be held on April 6th. More details to come for time and location. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to the Alzheimer's Association, an organization that was extremely important to him and his family.