Jay McDougal

Jay McDougal

MILLCREEK- Jay Jensen McDougal, age 46 passed away unexpectedly on June 26, 2024 at his home in Millcreek.

“We will be a memory one day, so we will make the best memories.”

Jay’s presence was warm, genuine, and kind. He had a gift for making everyone around him feel like they could be their truest, quirkiest, most authentic selves. In his younger years, he served an LDS mission in Venezuela, where he fell in love with the Latin culture, learning Spanish and embracing the vibrancy of life there. He was a gringo with a Latino heart.

Jay served his country with pride in the US Air Force from 2000 to 2006 as a network Engineer. He later became a successful IT security professional, excelling in his field. During those years, he also embraced his most cherished role, becoming a father to four incredible children: Abbie, Logan, Lucy, and Lily.

His musical talent was something magical. As a pianist, Jay had the rare ability to breathe life into any piece of music, with notes that carried the weight of his soul. Music was his love language, and every song he played whether soft and tender or bold and powerful came from the depths of his heart.

In his mid-thirties, Jay came out as a gay man, and though the rejections from his LDS community and family broke his heart, he found peace and joy in his 40’s. “My 40’s have been the best years of my life!” he would often say, “and my 50’s are going to be even better!”

At 46, Jay unexpectedly passed away. In the face of loss, the “how” fades, because our lives are not defined by our endings, but by the way we live. Jay’s truest expression of himself was found in how he loved, how he listened, and how he embraced every opportunity to learn and grow.

Above all, Jay’s greatest legacy was the love he poured into being a father. He approached fatherhood like a song, ever evolving, full of emotion, meaning, and unconditional love. His children were the most important part of his soul, and his love for his true friends and for life itself was what defined him.

Jay’s message to the world: “Surround yourself with people who love you without conditions, dance through life together, and create memories that will last forever. That’s where life’s beauty and wonder are revealed at their fullest.

Arrangements are in the trusted care of Fausett Mortuaries where family and friends are always welcome and may share memories online at www.fausettmortuary.com.