Jay Wilder Obituary
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Jay was at once private, quirky and endearing. He lived a rich life, decorating his apartment (and indeed his hallway at Medford Leas) with memorabilia and news clippings, travel stories (especially about Great Britain, his favorite destination), and stories about history and politics (many related to his heroes in the 1950s and '60s civil rights movement).
Jay graduated from Hiram College in 1967 and earned an MA in History at the University of Wisconsin. Drafted into the US Anny, he served at Tripler Hospital in Honolulu and as a swim coach for Army dependents on the base, at the height of the Viet Nam conflict. Jay stayed on in Hawaii, teaching history and coaching swimming at Hawaii Preparatory Academy on the Big Island. He retired to Medford Leas, where his parents (Dave and Olga Mary Wilder) and aunt (Cynthia Mott) had spent their last years. Jay thrived there, making friends and leading both its Diversity Committee and the group preparing and delivering peanut butter sandwiches to the Cathedral Kitchen in Camden, NJ. With a strong social conscience, Jay was happiest when he was helping others.
Until his hips needed a respite, Jay was an athlete and traveler. He loved fell running in the Yorkshire Dales and swimming in the Aegean Sea (and of course at Hapuna Beach, his local on the Big Island). He biked (most of the way) across the US. He hiked the Adirondacks with his father, mother, brother and sister-in-law and passed on his love of the outdoors to his nephews.
Jay is survived by his brother Hugh (Pana), his cousins Cristy Hitchcock and Chris Mott (Susan), his nephews Nick (Megan) and Jason (Ari), and his grand niece Margot and grand-nephew Henry.
A celebration of Jay's life will be held at Medford Leas at 2:00 PM, August 28, 2005. Please consider making any donations in Jay's memory to your favorite public media outlet, the Cathedral Kitchen in Camden https://cathedralkitchen.org/, or a charity or non-profit of your choice.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Bradley & Stow Funeral Home, 127 Medford-Mt. Holly Road, Medford, NJ 08055. (www.BradleyStow.com)
Aloha, Jay
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Jay Hitchcock Wilder, please visit our floral store.
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1 Entry
Noreen Flewelling
August 29, 2025
We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend and longtime volunteer, Jay. He shared Cathedral Kitchen´s mission with his friends and neighbors at Medford Leas, coordinating PB&J sandwich making and welcoming CK into their community. We always looked forward to his regular drop-offs, and his kindness and friendship touched us all. He will be greatly missed.
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