Jay W. Davis

By By

GREEN RIVER – On March 25, 2016 Jay W. Davis died after a 13 year struggle with a misdiagnosed perforated pharyesophageal diverticulum and following two botched surgical procedures.
He was born on May 11, 1949 in Moab, Utah. On Oct. 20, 1976, he married Carolyn A. Cane in Reno, Nev. and they were inseparable in their life adventure.
Jay graduated from Green River High School in 1967. He was in a National Science Foundation honor student in high school and attended Missouri State College in Kirksville, Mo. studying mathematics. He worked in the local uranium mines and grouting the Montpelier Idaho dam to help pay for college at the University of Nevada in Reno. He later studied physics at Edison College in N.J. and health physics at Lowell University in Massachusetts.
Early in his career, Jay worked for an aerospace contractor building missiles for the U.S. Air Force and for NASA. He traveled to Wake Island twice to build and launch missile from there. He began his long career in chemistry and health physics as an analytical chemist in the uranium industry. Over the years, he learned environmental sciences and radiochemistry and published a number of papers. He jointly held the U.S. patent for the testing apparatus used to challenge the chemical and biological warfare suits used by the U.S. military. Jay managed the scientific aspects of many complex site investigations and environmental restoration projects across the US while working for a number of large engineering firms and chemical and other manufacturing companies. In 1988, Jay and Carolyn sold their own environmental consulting company in New Jersey and moved to Colorado. In 2001, Jay retired from Dow Chemical Company and began a farming and food manufacturing company with Carolyn. In 2013, the developed, operating farm and company were sold and the couple retired to Green River, Utah.
He is survived by his wife Carolyn, daughter Rebecca, mother Verdella, sister Judy and brother John. He was preceded in death by his father Homer. There will be no services. Family and friends may sign the online guestbook and share memories of Jay at www.fausettmortuary.com.