Jay Patrick

 

In high school Jay Patrick was always smiling and always helping someone. In fact the reflector staff said “Jay is everybody’s right hand man.”  That willingness to help people has stayed with him in adulthood.   Jay has been photo editor for this website as he has put his photographic skills to use cleaning up some of the photographic contributions, especially some of my feeble photos.

Jay always had an interest in Theater Arts and lighting effects.  He was in the stage crew as a lighting specialist for our Junior and Senior Class plays.   

After high school Jay worked at Rodney Ann’s Candy Store on Liberty Street and enrolled at Kent State.  Rodney Ann’s gave him a chance to see how a small business is run.  He appreciated the fact that the manager wore several hats. 

At Kent Jay wanted to study theater arts and photography.  Kent assigned him a guidance councilor who told him if he was really interested in photography and theater to get out of Ohio and move to Hollywood. 

Jay was somewhat discouraged and joined the Army in 1963.  He was stationed for 2 years in Louisiana where he was trained as a pole lineman but ended up working in the motor pool as a parts specialist, which allowed him to hone his business management skills. 

When Jay left the Army he decided to take his Kent State Guidance Councilor’s advice and left for Los Angeles.   His sister was already there. 

Jay liked California.  “Girard was a great place to grow up but did not offer enough diversity.  I love the ocean, the mountains, the desert, the California life style,” He says.

He took a job as a metallurgical quality control inspector and furnace operator for 5 years.  In the meantime he enrolled in photography courses at a local university.  Then the opportunity to manage a Thrifty Drug store came along.  It paid well and Jay spent the next 10 years as manager. 

In the meantime he met a charming girl from Illinois who he married in 1973.  Faye worked as a school teacher.  They lived in Blythe CA, on the Colorado River near the Arizona boarder.  A few years later Jay and Faye wanted to move closer to LA so Jay quit Thrifty and the couple moved.  For work Jay tried being a car salesman.  “I did not do very well at that,” he says. “It was hard to sell a Chevy when I knew the Nissen was a better automobile.”   Jay was just too honest.  

From there he went to selling Insurance. That did not work either so he took a job as an Ad Executive for a local newspaper where he worked for the next 3 years.  Another paper offered him a position as office manager.  Jay did that for a year.  

Finally the opportunity presented itself for Jay to work as a photographer in an established studio. He would finally do the thing he had always wanted to do.  He began a job at this studio and 5 years later he bought the studio from it’s owner.  They specialized in Family Portraits, Weddings, and Commercial photography.   

Jay’s wife Faye had developed some eye problems in 1975 which ultimately ended in her loosing the sight of one eye and having severely limited vision in the other.  They decided they had better make the most of seeing the world as quickly as they could.  So Jay retired from the studio in 2000. Today, Faye is legally blind.  She can see her surroundings from one eye but has numerous floaters that further hinders her sight.   

Jay and Faye have no children.  “My sister-in-law said if we had any, they probably wouldn’t walk upright,” he jokes.  “ We do have three and two thirds cats.  Three are ours and there are two stray’s that found the kitty door. 

The Patrick’s live in Victorville, CA which is about 90 miles to LA and 45 miles to the mountains. 100 miles to the ocean and 180 miles to Las Vegas.  “We are constantly on the go. I average  about 30,000 miles a year on my car (2008 Prius) and half the time we go with someone else in their car.  We want to see and do what we can before Faye's eyes get any worse,” Jay explains.

They have gone to Ireland, Italy, France, Cruised the Mediterranean, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii and have taken several road trips across most of the country.  “We went to Palm Desert. CA In Feb, a Holy Land cruise in May, Estes Park, CO and to IL in Oct. We are trying to get time to come to Girard in Aug. but we probably won't make it.  We Have friends coming from Sydney, AU about that time.” 

Jay, if the two of you are not at the reunion, it will certainly be our loss.  We would like to meet Faye and would really like to renew our friendship with you.  Thank you very much for your help with the website photos.  -- Ed