Jay was born on December 10, 1953 in Bakersfield, California. Jay graduated as the Salutatorian from Gregory Portland High School, where he played varsity football and golf. He would sometimes regale people with stories from his glory days. Jay then started an Aggie family tradition by attending TEXAS A&M University and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BBA Degree in Accounting in 1976. Daughters, Kendall and Jamie, followed in his footsteps graduating from TEXAS A&M University. Jay started his career as an oil tank auditor for Texaco before moving on to work at Enterprise Products Company, now known as Enterprise Products Partners L.P. He spent more than thirty years working at Enterprise in several positions, making countless friends along the way. Jay met his wife, Laura, at Enterprise, and they were blessed with two daughters, Kendall and Jamie. He was an active presence in his daughters’ lives, enjoying and supporting their love of playing softball and volleyball. Jay encouraged and nurtured their enthusiasm for reading and learning. He always believed children should ask questions and adults should give them the answers because knowledge is power. Following Laura’s death, Jay met his current wife, Sheila, at Enterprise. They spent their annual fall vacations on cruises in different parts of the world with a large group of friends that became family to them. Jay was an avid reader with his favorite work being the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He was also a fan of Edgar Allan Poe and William Shakespeare. Jay would quote from these and many more literary works and ask if you knew who wrote the passage and who the character was if applicable. He had a great knowledge of history as well as Greek and Norse Mythology. Jay enjoyed working in the garden and yard and taking his annual fall “hunting” trips with his college buddies. His latest gardening adventure was a vegetable garden where Jay, in true Jay fashion, mixed all the seeds together and planted them that way. The garden was a huge success yielding a lot of vegetables during this spring and summer. Jay’s guilty pleasure was the Houston Chronicle crossword puzzle with Sunday’s being his favorite. Jay’s greatest joys were his daughters and his grandchildren. After a visit he would always rehash and talk about our time together with tears of happiness in his eyes.
Jay was preceded in death after 20 years of marriage by his wife, Laura, his parents, Betty and David Callaway, Laura’s parents, Ruth and James Bogenschutz, Sheila’s parents, Pat and George Tormey, sisters-in-law, Carla Stringfellow, Ellen Klein and Maureen Lewis, and brother-in-law, Barry Klein. Jay is survived by his wife of 16 years, Sheila, their daughters, Kendall Finger (Luke) and Jamie Callaway (Dan Belcher), grandchildren, Beau Callaway Finger and Sadie Jane Finger, sisters, Dana Callaway and Lael Callaway Milam, co-parents-in-law, Shelli and Joey Finger, sisters-in-law, Aileen Taylor, Kath Owens (David), Trish Weikert (Mitch), Ann Naudin (Robert), Linda Skarbovig (Erik) and brothers-in-law, Roney Lewis, Mike Bogenschutz (Mary) and Matt Bogenschutz (Stephanie) as well as numerous nieces, nephews and extended family members.
The family asks in lieu of flowers to donate to The American Cancer Society, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or American Liver Foundation in Jay’s name.
Due to Covid, attendance at the Celebration Service is limited to immediate family, others may virtually attend through clicking on the live stream link no earlier than 10:55a.m.
