Jay L. McQuillen

Funeral services to celebrate the life of Jay Landis McQuillen, 87, of Davenport will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at the First Presbyterian Church in Davenport. Burial with military honors will follow at Davenport Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the Cunnick-Collins Mortuary in Davenport on Monday, July 22, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Jay passed away on July 19, 2019 at the Crest Health Care Center at Ridgecrest Village, Davenport.

Jay was a devoted family man, husband of Marilyn McQuillen, married for 61 years. Together, they had 3 children, Jay McQuillen Jr. (wife Diana), Jayne Thomsen (husband Steve), and Matt McQuillen (wife Eva). He is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren - Chase McQuillen, Erika Strauser, Hannah Thomsen, Megan McQuillen, and Erin McQuillen. He is also survived by six great-grandchildren.

Jay was a Marine who served in the Korean War, and was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant in 1956. Throughout his time in the military, Jay was a top-level marksman. Once he returned home from active duty, he spent time educating youth in riflery at the local YMCA because of his passion for shooting and hunting.

Jay was born to Dee and Nettie Ann in Larned, Kansas on June 16, 1932, and was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Dee McQuillen, Jr., and sister, Wylla Ann Zink.

He graduated from Wichita State University in 1962 and resided in Kansas with his family until 1972, when they then moved to Davenport, Iowa. Jay worked at the J.I. Case Facilities, Rock Island and East Moline, from that time until he retired in 1997. He was a Senior Purchasing Agent and had the opportunity to interact with many vendors across the country and Japan.

Jay's personal life was filled with many different activities, from being a member of First Presbyterian Church, serving as a Volunteer, Deacon, and Elder, to being a member of the American Legion Post 26, and being a participating member of the Honor Guard for many years. His volunteering continued with coaching Little League, volunteering at the Jessie Day relays, the Bix, the John Deere Classic, and even had the opportunity to volunteer at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in Palm Springs, CA.

Jay loved the outdoors and spent much of his life woodworking, bird hunting, and fly fishing. His shooting skills made him famous in his hunting outings with family and friends, where he once took out two deer with one shot in Colorado. His wood craftsmanship included making furnishings such as beds, tables, and a cradle for each of their children's first child.

Jay was also a sports enthusiast, consistently supporting his children's and grandchildren's activities throughout the years. He loved to go to University of Iowa football games, good years and bad, no matter the weather. Many weekends and weeknights were spent on the golf course with friends.

In their early days, Jay and Marilyn found much joy in road tripping across the country, especially loving trips to their son's cabin in Montana. Jay's adventurous spirit spanned his lifetime, from hunting excursions, to snowmobiling, and even to climbing Mount Fuji in Japan. This legacy carries on throughout his family, who will greatly miss him. To know him was to love him.

The family would like to thank the care staff at Ridgecrest Retirement Village and Genesis Hospice for their loving care of Jay. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Legion Post #26 or First Presbyterian Church of Davenport, both of which were very important in Jay's life.