Jay Zeamer, Jr. passed away peacefully surrounded by the love of his family on March 22 at St. Andrews Village in Boothbay Harbor.
Jay was born on July 25, 1918, the son of Jay and Marjorie Zeamer, in Carlisle, Penn., and grew up in Orange County, N.J.
He spent most of his summers in Boothbay Harbor, rowing his homebuilt boat across the harbor. He was an avid sailor.
He became an eagle scout at the age of thirteen then entered Culver Military Academy for his high school education. He graduated with his Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Aeronautical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While in attendance at M.I.T., he enrolled in the Reserve Officers Training Corps as a prospective officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before entering the army in Machias. He was a pilot of the U.S. Army Air Forces in the South Pacific during WWII and after earning two air medals, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and two Silver Stars, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for valor during a reconnaissance mission on June 16, 1943.
Jay was employed at Pratt and Whitney in Hartford, Conn. directly following the war. He met and married his wife, Barbara, in 1949 and they had five daughters. They moved to Los Angeles, Cal. in 1952, when he was offered a position at Hugh’s Aircraft. It was there that he earned his MBA at UCLA.
Jay always wanted to return to the east coast and in 1959, accepted a position at Raytheon Missile Company in Bedford, Mass. He then moved his family to Groton, Mass.
During summers he took his family back to the place he loved, Boothbay Harbor, and in1968, retired to his favorite place. He purchased a skiff and oars and rowed around the harbor. He enjoyed bike riding, skiing, skating and tennis and remained active throughout most of his retired years. Later in his years he would enjoy watching the boats in the harbor from his picture window on the hill facing the harbor that he loved.
He moved to The Gregory Wing of St. Andrews Village and had lived there for the past 18 months.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara; his loving daughters and their families, Marcia Zeamer of Medford, Mass., Jacque Zeamer Damon and husband Niven of Eliot, Jayne Zeamer and husband Jim Tilley of Winchester, Mass., Susan Zeamer of Falmouth, and Sandra Neubert and husband Chris of Easton, Conn. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, Kerry Damon of Rochester, N.H., Tracey Damon of Aspen, Col., Jay Damon of Eliot, Brent and Jeffrey Tilley of Winchester, Mass., and Paul and Natalie Neubert of Easton, Conn.
Celebration of his life was held March 26 at The American Legion of Boothbay.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the veteran’s organization of your choice in honor of those serving in Iraq or send donations to Disabled American Veterans, either on line at www.dav.org or mail contributions to DAV Memorial Program, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301.
Arrangements are entrusted to Simmons, Harrington & Hall Funeral Home, 975 Wiscasset Rd., Boothbay, ME 04537.
