He was born in Ponca City, Oklahoma on August 16, 1957, to Paul and Thyra Lou Wilson. He married Cynthia Ely on September 6, 1980.
Jay was raised in Ponca City and graduated from Ponca City High School in 1975. He attended Oklahoma State University where he received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1981 and a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1983.
Upon graduation, he was hired to work at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he worked in multiple positions for the next 29 years.
He was devoted to his family and always eager to help others. He could often be found flying model airplanes or working on projects in his backyard shop.
He is survived by his wife Cynthia; his daughters Emily and Elizabeth; his son-in-law John; and his siblings Mark, Scott and Paula. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Priscilla.
A graveside service is planned at Memorial Park Cemetery, Oklahoma City, Friday, March 9th at 1:00pm. A memorial service will be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
