Jay Randolph Nash

FALMOUTH – Jay Nash was a Good Dude. He always had a warm “Hello” or kind word to say to each person he met, and was often described as “the guy with the brown hat.”

Born in 1949 to Wilder and Helen Nash, Jay and his younger brother, Linn, grew up in Falmouth. Their parents taught them the value of honesty, hard work, and the importance of helping others. These values permeated every part of Jay’s life. Raised Baptist, Jay later became a member of the Foreside Community Church, UCC, where he remained an active member until his passing.

Jay graduated from Falmouth High School in 1968. During Vietnam, he proudly served in the U.S. Air Force repairing helicopters and fixed wing planes. He returned to Maine after leaving the service and began his career as an auto mechanic. In 1975 his love of fast cars caused him to lose his license for speeding. On that Valentine’s day, when getting a ride from a friend he met the love of his life, Lisa. The couple married in 1977 and chose to ride through this life together. They were married 46 years, until his death on Nov. 12, 2023. They built a life together and raised two dearly loved children, Tim and Laura. In the 1980s, while working full-time and raising their kids, Jay and Lisa built, by hand, their forever home in Falmouth.

For years, Jay “twisted wrenches” for others before opening his own shop. It is no coincidence that it was called “Jay’s Service”, as he used his skills in service to others throughout his career. A skilled mechanic, he could often listen to the noise a car was making, provide a description of the problem and the steps needed to fix it. Jay didn’t just fix cars at a fair rate; he also got to know his customers. If someone needed extra time to pay or was in a financial bind, he would do whatever was needed to ensure they were driving a safe vehicle.

From coaching youth sports teams to serving in the Falmouth Lions Club for nearly 20 years, Jay enjoyed being an active member of the community. He served as club president twice and was named Maine’s King Lion of the Year in 2015. He was awarded the prestigious Melvin Jones Fellow award in 2019.

Jay will be remembered most for how he loved and showed up for his family. Having his shop at the house enabled Jay to be “Mr. Mom” in the afternoons. He spent countless hours in the garage with Tim, teaching him how to fix anything and everything.

During the last six years of his life, Jay received compassionate care from the New England Cancer Center. He and Lisa made the best of the time he had left, having lots of adventures, big and small, with both their family and friends. On each of their two recent cross-country road trips, Jay and Lisa brought a truckload of much needed supplies to the Lakota at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. They also traveled south to visit family and friends, and in April traveled to France with Laura and her family. As his health declined, smaller adventures included running errands, attending grandchildren’s concerts and recitals, going out to lunch, and throwing the ball for their beloved dog, Shelby, at least a million times.

Until the very end, Jay was always up for a drive. The day before he passed, he took an inaugural ride in his very own 1936 Ford 5-window coupe.

Predeceased by his parents, Jay is survived by wife, Lisa; son, Tim (daughters Karissa and Madison); daughter, Laura Rodas (husband Cristian, children William, Lucas and Lisette); exchange student son, Shodi (wife, Ramziya, daughters Sadea and Pareshka); and brother, Linn. Jay is also survived by many other family members and friends who meant the world to him.

A celebration of life will be held on Nov. 27 at 11 a.m. at the Foreside Community Church in Falmouth.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the

Falmouth Lions Club or

Bears Program,

Box 415

Pine Ridge, South Dakota