Thomas N. "TJ" Jay

Thomas “TJ” Neil Jay (July 5, 1947) of Cummington, Massachusetts, passed unexpectedly in the morning of February 8th. Son of Andrew and Marie Jablonski of Westfield, where he lived for many years, and attended Westfield High. He took classes at STCC, but never stopped learning, and knew something about everything. TJ was an extraordinary father, dedicated husband, and a genuinely kind, loving man, who cared for everyone like family. He served in the Army as an Armor Crewman Sgt during The Vietnam War. He started his own business, Acorn Office Products, in Holyoke, and worked for the US Postal service for many years as a Postmaster in Chesterfield, and as a mail-handler in Pittsfield. After retirement, he spent much of his time visiting Salem helping his daughter and son-in-law with Black Cat Tours, and Black Cat Curiosity Shoppe. He volunteered for decades with The Trustees of Reservations at The William Cullen Bryant Homestead, where he would often be Bryant for events, and for The City of Salem at Pioneer Village, Old Burying Point Cemetery, and The Witch House. He portrayed Father Christmas, played bass guitar, was an immensely talented artist and actor, ran his late father-in-law Ed's popcorn wagon, helped coach the Cummington Bantam Baseball team, loved feeding the birds, taking trips with his wife and family, enjoyed gummi-bears, good coffee, pasta, ice cream, ballroom dancing, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, The Lord of The Rings, nearly every genre of music, history, being on or near the ocean, was proud of his Scottish heritage, and was always the coolest dude in the room. He leaves behind his devoted wife of 53 years, Kristin Majkowski Jay, his daughter, Lara Fury, and her husband, Daniel Fury, his brother, Andrew Jr. and his wife Carol, nieces and nephews Alyssa and Jeremy (children of his late sister Diane), Kim and Kiki, Kyle and Crystal, brother-in-law Blaise, and sister-in-law Ardith, his grand-nieces and nephews, as well as many, many dear friends that are just as much family, his faithful Corgi, Medraut, his cat, Summer, Sir Peter the Parrot, and all of the cat “grandkids.” He will be interred at North Cemetery in Worthington this spring. Details of a service will be shared at a later date.                              

                      We love you, always will...