Jay James Cress, Jr.

Jay James Cress, Jr., 68, of Topeka, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 at his son's home in Oklahoma City from a rare form of cancer called Mesothelioma. Jay was born in Camden, NJ on April 15, 1937 to Jay J. and Charlotte Orcutt Cress. He grew up in Arcadia, CA and graduated from Monrovia Duarte High School in California. He attended Kansas State University and graduated with a BS degree in Electrical Engineering in 1962. He is a Delta Sigma Phi member. He was a member of the Army Reserves from 1960 to 1966. Jay met Margean E. Westerhouse while at KSU and was married on December 27, 1960 in Eudora, KS. Jay and his family have lived in Colorado, Michigan, Kentucky and Kansas. Jay retired from Westar Energy in 1999. Jay loved fly fishing, camping, gold panning, flying model planes, Ham radio, working on the computer, reading books, traveling in their fifth wheel, and playing with his grandchildren and dog. He could build or fix just about anything. Jay is survived by his wife, Margean of Topeka, children, Jay James Cress, III of Oklahoma City, OK, Joy Cress Thayer, D.V.M., and husband, Donald Robert Thayer, Jr., D.V.M. of Nuevo, CA and grandchildren, Wyatt and Reagan Thayer of Nuevo, CA. He is also survived by his siblings, Steve Cress, Susan Welch and Nancy Lee from the Lake Tahoe area. Cremation has taken place. Memorial serices will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church. Inurnment services will be held at 2:30 p.m. at Eudora Cemetery in Eudora, KS. The family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Monday at the family home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributins may be given to First Baptist Church defibrillator fund, 3033 S.W. MacVicar, Topeka, KS 66611 or the Eudora Methodist Church Building Fund, 703 Church St., Eudora, KS 66025 or the charity of your choice. Penwell-Gabel Mid Town Chapel is in charge of arrangements.