James Donald Hay, 84, Longtime Westfield Resident
James Donald Hay, 84, passed away at Overlook Medical Center in Summit, N.J., on Saturday, October 19, 2024, with loving family at his bedside.
Born on June 8, 1940, in Brooklyn, New York, Jim grew up playing handball with his brother, Doug, in Prospect Park. He graduated from St. Michael’s Diocesan High School in Brooklyn with a scholarship to Fordham University to study History. There, he met the love of his life, Patricia Hay, and they became inseparable. They married in 1964 as Patricia completed her master’s degree at New York University, while Jim completed his law degree at the New York University School of Law and was admitted to the New Jersey and New York Bars.
Jim loved the law and grew in his career to become Vice President General Counsel at Thomas & Betts Corporation. He was an active member of the American Bar Association, chairing the New Jersey General Counsel Group. Along the way, Jim picked up his MBA from the Wharton School of Management at the University of Pennsylvania.
Jim also loved celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, wearing silly hats, and dancing with Pat like no one was watching. He loved all kinds of music, from Bill Haley & His Comets and Danny and the Juniors, The Fantasticks and Evita, to Star Wars and Elvis, and would sing in the Holy Trinity Church with gusto.
After the birth of their second child, in 1969, the Hays moved from Brooklyn to Westfield, New Jersey, to raise their family. Jim became active in the Jaycees and United Way. Later, he could be found in stands, on sidelines, and in theater seats, coaching and cheering on his children and grandchildren.
The Hays remained in Westfield, but Patricia and Jim loved to travel, so they explored the world together at every opportunity. Eventually, they circumnavigated the planet via Regent Cruise Lines. They especially loved Asia and explored many cultural capitals like Rome, Sydney, Tokyo, New Delhi, Peking and Mexico City.
Throughout his life, Jim enjoyed water and sports, which kept him young, and sometimes got him into trouble. While growing up, his summers were spent with his cousins in the Highlands and Sandy Hook. He loved swimming and coaching, so it was no surprise that Jim worked with his daughters on their competitive and synchronized swimming skills. When they became interested in soccer, he studied soccer from books, took the girls to Cosmos games to watch and learn, and coached soccer teams. During the summers, Jim loved finishing his work days at Nomahegan Swim Club, regularly closing down the place after tossing kids around the back of the horseshoe pool, bouncing off the diving boards, and sliding down the slides. He also loved the water in St. John. Starting in the 1980s, Jim and Pat spent a month in St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands each year, bringing their growing family together to escape the winter blahs. Only hurricanes and newborns could keep family members away from these reunions. Jim launched kids across the pool, snorkeled for hours around Waterlemon Cay, and bodysurfed. One year, Jim had to be medevaced from the island after crushing his shoulder and ribs while bodysurfing with his younger brother, Doug. He was back to snorkeling the following year.
In their later years, Jim and Patricia were regulars in the YMCA water aerobics classes. They kept fit, enjoyed the music with their friends, and wore silly hats for all of the holiday sessions.
Jim was predeceased by his beloved wife, Patricia, and his parents, Veronica and James Hay. He was also predeceased by his loving brother, Douglas.
Surviving are his children, Bronwyn, Alexis, Nathalie and James; his dear sister, Veronica; adoring grandchildren, Charlotte, Loic, Aidan, Colin, Rowan, Caroline and David; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
A memorial gathering will be held on Friday, November 22, from 4 to 7 p.m., at Dooley Colonial Home in Westfield. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Saturday, November 23, at 11 a.m., at the Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church of Westfield.
November 14, 2024
