If you asked a hundred people who Jay was, they would all say the same thing: He was the life of the party, larger than life. He may have even spun different yarns according to the company, not out of a yearning for acceptance, but because he liked to entertain people, he liked to have a story. Those that knew Jay could use many words to describe him: Charismatic, audacious, resolute, dountless, vigorous, virile, red-blooded, but also husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, friend. It was, in fact, his potent charisma that helped him throughout his long career in sales, which included his many years at the family-owned and operated Van’s Furniture in downtown Warren. With a More cigarette in one hand and a drink in the other, he could sell sawdust to a lumber mill. Family get-togethers often included his favorite mix of Motown, “Papa was a Rolling Stone” being the one he told his son Jay Jr, he wanted played at his funeral.
After moving to Smyrna, Georgia in 1989, Jay met and married Dianne, creating a couple that could be described as no less than yin and yang. Jay lovingly accepted Dianne’s daughters and grandchildren as his own. “Pops” loved his sons, his step-daughters and all his grandchildren with a sense of great pride.
Jay touched the lives of everyone he met in some way, and memories of him will live on.
Jay is survived by his sons Jay “Jaymie” (Monica) VanDevender, Jr of Cape Canaveral, Fl; David (Heidi) VanDevender of Warren, Oh; daughters Paige Byers Southard of Hot Springs, Ar; Terri (Kyle) Christopher of Port Richey, Fl; His grandchildren, Erica VanDevender of Cape Canaveral, Fl; Clayton Ray VanDevender of Cocoa, Fl; Austin VanDevender of Cape Canaveral, Fl Nathan VaDevender, of Cape Canaveral, Fl; Matthew (Jenna Dorchock) VanDevender of Warren, Oh; Hailey VanDevender of Warren, Oh; Blakely (Jordan) Thomas of Portland, Or; Parker Arnspiger of Youngstown, Fl; Bryson (Kali) Christopher of Youngstown, Fl; Kelsey Southard of Kansas City, Mo; Shanna Southard of Pittsburg, Ks; seven great-grandchildren; Brother Tim (Doreen) VanDevender of Winter Haven, Fl; Sister-in-law Gayle Newton VanDevender of Apopka, Fl; Niece Pam (Harold) Gray, who was more like a sister, of Merritt Island, Fl; and numerous other nieces and nephews.
Proceeding him in death, wife Dianne VanDevender, father Ray VanDevender, mother Imogene Gillig, brother Max VanDevender, sister, Gloria Purcell, Nephew Van Purcell, and Yobie, Jay and Dianne’s beloved fur-baby.
A service will be held at Wylie-Baxley Funeral Home, located at 1360 N. Courtenay Pkwy, Merritt Island, Fl on Saturday December 5, 2020 at 3:00 pm. A celebration of life will immediately follow in the Jamaica Room at the Radisson at the Port, 8701 Astronaut Blvd, Cape Canaveral, Fl.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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