Jay L. Toon

When Jay L. Toon walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Jay was and how he impacted those around him. Jay was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Jay wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Jay was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.      Jay was born on March 4, 1974 at Baylor Hospital in Dallas, Texas. He was the son of Jack and Jan Toon. Jay moved with his family to Phoenix, Arizona at the age of 16 months and then to Tucson, Arizona at 10 years of age. He moved to San Diego, California in 1995 and to Las Vegas in 2003, returning to San Diego, which he felt was his home, in September 2009. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Jay might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Jay was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.      Jay was raised with one brother. He had an older brother, John, who, with his wife Tonya, had three children: Riley, Peyton & Tyler. Jay was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Jay was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Jay well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him. Jay’s beloved granddaddy, Dalford Todd, died March 15, 2002. Jay had many of his wonderful qualities. His grandmother, Pansy Todd, lives in Midlothian, Texas. His Mamma, Bonnie Toon, died in August 1984 and his Pappa, Lloyd Toon, died in 1982.      As a young boy, Jay was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Jay was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Jay took part inT-Ball and Pop Warner football and began wrestling in junior high. In his spare time he loved to fish and play golf. He also enjoyed collecting shells and unusual rocks. Even as a child, Jay was kind and considerate to everyone he met, interacting with both adults and children. From childhood through adulthood, he was a facilitator to everyone who came into his life. Jay had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.      During his high school years, Jay responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from Canyon del Oro High School in 1992. Jay was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Jay absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Jay, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Jay a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. His favorite class in high school was History. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Tommy Steele. Jay was an awesome wrestler. He often spoke of Coach DuBerry who was not only coach, but also a friend and mentor to Jay.      With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Jay was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Jay was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Brian Bureson, John Carter, Devon Clifford, Corey Pangel, Dustin Parton and Danny Lafave. Some of his best adult friends were his cousin Alan Todd, James & Megan Runyon, Brian Bureson, Tory Ornelas, Sean Yost and Bill Scher. His friends in San Diego, Las Vegas and Tucson, are too numerous to count or name, and they all will know who they are. Anyone who met Jay never forgot him. He truly felt compassion for people and wanted to help in every way possible. He brought out the best in everyone and always took time to listen. He was without guile and never betrayed a confidence. His friends were friends for life. He was loyal and trustworthy. If you were lucky enough to be called Jay’s friend, you are a better person today. Jay had so many friends and family that they are too numerous to count. He loved his family, extended family, and friends, deeply.      Jay was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. Jay was a partner in the family business, Snapp & Associate Insurance Services, Inc. beginning in 1995. He did what most business owners do, and that was to do what needed to be done. Jay had tremendous knowledge about computers and I.T. Jay was a problem solver and his abilities with computers gave him so much opportunity to help people. Jay was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Jay had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Jay's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.      Because Jay loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. He enjoyed all things outdoors like fishing, camping, hiking, boating and golfing. He loved to go off-roading on his quad and enjoyed taking out his jeep and his boat. He gained much peace by being out in God’s world. Jay loved watching movies and anything about history. Jay longed to gain knowledge about the world and all of its great mysteries. Jay had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Jay's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.      Jay derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Jay participated in wrestling and football. Recreational sports included golf, fishing, off-roading on his quad and jeep. Jay was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list was Charger Football.      Throughout his life, Jay was actively involved in professional and community organizations. He was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Jay seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Jay usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout his later years, Jay was an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).      Jay was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a Born Again Christian who loved Jesus and shared his faith freely with all. He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for his beliefs.      Though he never did anything solely for individual recognition, Jay's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned him accolades for his many lifelong efforts. Some of his most prestigious awards included being loved and trusted by everyone he met.      Jay's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Jay took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Jay loved to travel and was very adventurous. Two of his favorite vacations were an all family vacation to Hawaii and the Caribbean.      Jay was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Jay’s favorite pet was his cat of 16 years known as Little Man. Little Man passed away in January 2009 and he adopted Mr. Man who will now go to live with Jay’s parents as a constant reminder of their beloved son.      Jay Toon passed away on Monday, December 28, 2009 at 2:00 a.m. at Sharp Hospital in Chula Vista, California. Jay suffered a violent & fast moving infection that raced through his body and caused all of his organs to fail and he died of a massive heart attack. He is survived by his father, Jack; his mother, Jan; his brother, John, his sister-in-law, Tonya, and his nieces Riley & Peyton and his nephew, Tyler. Services were held at Eastlake Community Church. Jay was laid to rest in Glen Abbey Memorial Park in Bonita, California.      There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Jay. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Jay Toon for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Jay was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.