To contribute your memories of a former friend and colleague who has passed away, send via e-mail to jhenderson815@verizon.net.
Robert Moore: I came to the Safety Board in September 1995, about a year or two after Jay arrived. In January 2006 we had a blizzard in D.C., during which a Metrorail Red Line train ran (skidded) through the Shady Grove passenger station and struck a standing unoccupied train. The train operator was killed. Jay was the IIC, and because (as he would readily admit) writing was not his strong suit, I was assigned as the report writer. Whatever I needed, Jay got it--not next week, not tomorrw, but today. Working together, we cranked out the report in 9 months despite the highly technical aspects of the accident. As we worked together, I came to know Jay as someone dedicated to railroading and dedicated to safety. I also came to know him as a good and true friend.
Jay could regale you with stories about his railroading days around Altoona. I even recall his telling about his first day with Conrail when he met another NTSB railroader, J. S. "Jimmy" Dunn, whom we lost to cancer in 1998. I cracked up at the story of the time Jay (as road foreman) showed up at the scene of a derailment to find his crew (his "pukes," as he called them) lounging in recliners. The train had been carrying a carload of La-Z-Boys that had been opened in the wreck.
Yeah, Jay was a railroader through and through. The only thing that might have been as important to Jay as railroading (excepting his wife, Sandy, of course) was photography. He was an avid photographer and even had a darkroom (remember those?) set up in his house. Jay was the photographer at my wedding, and my only regret is that I didn't get a picture of him, because he was always behind the camera.
Jay had a great sense of humor and was not above "pulling a leg" every now and then. I recall his telling of the time when, waiting for a plane, a fellow passenger asked about the (camera) equipment Jay was carrying in his variously shaped bags. While Jay didn't respond directly, he did comment about how difficult it was getting to carry a rifle on board an aircraft these days.
I'm deeply saddened by the fact that Jay wasn't able to enjoy the long and happy life after retirement that he and Sandy so richly deserved. But knowing Jay certainly enhanced my life, and for that I will always be grateful. Rest in peace, My Friend. I'll never forget you.