Dorothy Alice Jay

Okemos, Michigan

Dorothy Alice Jay, age 85, passed away Thursday, December 30, 2010 at Sparrow Hospital with her family at her side. To parents Michael & Leocadia (Lottie) Polak, Dorothy was born October 5, 1925 in Detroit, Mich., and graduated from St. Florian High School in Hamtramck, Mich., in 1943. With her participation in the Cadet Nursing Corps, Dorothy was able to obtain degree from the College of Nursing at Mercy College in Detroit in 1947.

Dorothy married the love of her life, Leonard A. Jay, April 16, 1952. They began their lives together in East Lansing, where Dorothy joined Leonard as interior decorator for their home building business, Blue Jay Development.

She is survived by her daughters Amy (John) Koestner, Donna (Robert) Crawford; sons, Gary (Bonnie), Brian (Joni), Mark; nine loving grandchildren, Ryan (Barbara), Theodore Jay, and Noelle (Chris) Wegener, Kyle Koestner, Lottie and Sadie Jay, April (Thomas) Erickson, Justin King, and Sara Jay.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Leonard A. Jay and her sister, Bernice Stodulski.

Dorothy was a devout Catholic and is remembered by those close to her as a loving wife, mother and grandmother, as well as an active volunteer with the Women's Altar Society and the St. Thomas Aquinas Arts and Crafts group.

She was an accomplished Tole painter, in addition to participating in various artistic endeavors with her close group of friends fondly called The Clever Club.

The Funeral Mass will be celebrated Wednesday, January 5 at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church with the Rev. Mark Inglot officiating. Interment will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Lansing, in a private family ceremony.

The family will receive friends on Sunday, January 2, 2011, at the Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, 1730 East Grand River Ave., East Lansing from 1-4 p.m. and 5-7 p.m., with reciting of The Rosary at 5 p.m.

The family will also receive friends one hour prior to the funeral service at the church.

The Jay family is forever indebted to the Sparrow CCU nurses Katie, Donna and Sandy for their compassionate care.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made the McAuley School of Nursing at the University of Detroit Mercy, 4001 W. McNichols Road, Detroit MI, 48221-3038, or St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 955 Alton Road, East Lansing MI, 48823-2785. On line condolences may be made at www.gorslineruncimaneastlansing.com