Jay Walter Becker died peacefully on April 6th in Jupiter, Florida. He was 82 years old. A native New Yorker, he attended the prestigious McBurney School in New York City as a teenager. After graduating high school, he enrolled at the State University of New York at Farmingdale, where, on the very first day of classes, he met the love of his life, Carol Sturdy. Jay and Carol both earned degrees in Horticulture from Farmingdale and were married in 1959.
The Becker family quickly grew. The couple welcomed their first daughter, Debbie, into the world in 1961 and their second daughter, Susan followed in 1966.
After completing college, Jay worked a series of jobs in the horticultural industry, but in 1972, he and Carol opened their own florist shop in Floral Park, NY – Jay W. Becker Florist. Thanks to the pair’s hard work, the new business thrived. For 23 years, their shop produced both the blanket of white carnations that is placed upon the winning horse at the Belmont Stakes and the flower blanket for the winner of the Marlboro Cup. The couple’s floral work was also featured in national advertising campaigns by Hanes and Colgate and their business was listed in the 1976 Guinness Book of World Records for having made the largest funeral piece honoring a horse. The 8 ½ by 8 ½ foot horseshoe decorated the grave of the famous racehorse Ruffian. Jay and Carol were also privileged to attend the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA where they helped decorate various floats.
As Jay and Carol’s flower business grew, so did Jay’s stature within the floral industry. He was twice elected President of the Long Island Retail Florists Association and served for over 28 years as a member of that organization’s Board. He was also chosen to be a member of the Board of Directors for the New York State Florists Association and for Florist’s Transworld Delivery (FTD), which, at the time was the world’s largest florist cooperative.
Throughout their lives, Jay and Carol were also staunch supporters of Rotary International and Jay took great pride in being a Rotarian. The couple, who were active in Rotary clubs in Floral Park, NY, Lake George, NY and Jupiter, FL, had 38 years of perfect attendance at meetings. Jay twice served as Club President, he was named a Paul Harris Fellow and in 1996, he was selected to lead an international Group Study Exchange Team to the Pampas of Argentina. Also, every year during the holiday season, he and Carol brought joy to countless numbers of children by making public appearances dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus.
After selling their store and retiring from the flower business in 1997, Jay and Carol divided their time between spending summers at their cabin on Friends Lake in the Adirondack Mountains and winters at their home in Jupiter, FL. At both locales, Jay continued to pursue his lifelong passions for gardening and fishing. On any given day, he was likely be seen with either a fishing rod or a trowel in his hand – or maybe both. He and Carol also remained active in their support of Rotary International.
In addition to his wife Carol and daughters, Debbie and Susan, Jay is survived by two sons-in-law, Mitchell Parker and Steve Severn, three grandchildren, Pam Parker, Richard Parker and Will Severn, a grand-daughter-in-law, Corinne Parker and a great granddaughter, Nova Parker.
Memorial donations may be made to either the Jupiter-Tequesta Rotary Club Foundation (P.O. Box 3118 – Tequesta, FL 33469) or Holy Spirit Lutheran Church (13301 Ellison Wilson Road – Juno Beach, FL 33408).
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