Passing of PDG Jay Kapner
November 24th, 2008 in Rotary Shares


Jay Kapner, a lover of family, music, and community and world service, died peacefully at his home on Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia. He was 59.
Jay was a loving and devoted husband and father. When Jay was 21 he married wife Lee, his college sweetheart, and in their 38 years of marriage they lived in Wilmington, Boston, Connecticut, and Atlanta, spent 5 months traveling across America in a Dodge van, attended almost 250 concerts, visited three continents, and built a life based on love, commitment, and respect. Jay adored his children, daughter Tamar and son Daniel, and was a deeply committed and caring father. Jay had many wonderful memories in life, and some of his favorite were spending a month with Lee in Italy, taking a road trip with his daughter to see Arlo Guthrie in concert, traveling through Japan with his son and going together on a jazz quest to Charleston, backpacking nearly the entire Appalachian trail, seeing the Beatles’ childhood homes in Liverpool, and watching his children and grandchildren grow.

Jay dedicated his life to service above self – to his local and world communities. Through his involvement with Rotary International, including serving as District Governor of Eastern North Carolina, Jay traveled to India to give children polio vaccinations and bring a village clean drinking water; traveled to Mexico to build houses for the homeless; and promoted AIDS awareness, disaster relief, and the importance of public service. Jay regularly volunteered with homeless and domestic violence shelters, served as a youth adviser with the B’nai Brith Youth Organization, built houses with Habitat for Humanity, volunteered to help preserve Masonboro Island, and worked as a youth counselor in prisons and counselor for drug addicts. Jay was a dynamic and inspirational leader - he lived to serve others and was guided by a duty to help heal the world.

Jay was born in 1949 in Brooklyn and raised in Massapequa, NY. He received a bachelor’s degree from Boston University and master’s degree from Springfield College. Jay was in the hotel and nightclub business for 24 years, and with Lee was former owner of the Greentree Inn, Yellow Rose Saloon, and Rockits Rhythm & Sports.

Jay is survived by wife Lee, son Daniel, daughter Tamar, son-in-law Frank, grandchildren Jacob and Esther, sister Wendy, brother-in-law Richie, nephews Josh and Avi, and parents Rabbi Nathan and Pearl Kapner. His life will be celebrated and missed.

Funeral services will be conducted on Monday at 2:30PM at Dressler’s Funeral Home in Atlanta, GA. A memorial service will be conducted in Wilmington at a date TBA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the ALS Association of Georgia.
http://www.alsaga.org/