SMITHFIELD – Jay Albert Stark, 66, returned to his Father in Heaven Friday. June 5, 1998, surrounded by his family at the Logan Regional Hospital. Jay was born September 19. 1931 in Ogden. Utah to Walter and Rosabell Marie Brown Stark. The doctors told his mother that he would not live through the night because he was a premature baby and only weighed two pounds, three ounces, but his mother asked the doctors if they wanted to bet that he would make it. He married Marilyn Jean Hart on October 30, 1951 in Malad, Idaho. They later divorced. He married Joyce Wanda Jensen on September 30, 1966 in Preston, Idaho. Their marriage was solemnized in the Logan LDS Temple on March 22, 1985.
Jay grew up in Ogden, the fourth of seven children. He loved swimming in the river close to his home with his brothers, sisters, and cousins. He attended Ogden schools and graduated from sheet metal training, which was his occupation until 1983 when he retired. He was a member of the Utah Sheet Metal Local #312. Jay was very proud of the work that he did. He bragged many times when passing a building that he had worked on, especially the Logan Temple and many stake centers across the states of Utah and Idaho. He also worked on many of the buildings at Utah State University, including Old Main and the Business building. He always bragged about Pepperidge Farms because it was so easy to see his work from the highway when going to visit his family in Idaho.
Jay was a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. At the time of his death he was a High Priest in the Smithfield 11th Ward. Jay was a wonderful husband and father. He was always there to lend a helping hand and a listening ear to his children. He always said, ‘the door is always open.” He had a love for roller pigeons, which he loved showing to other people. He was a good friend to those who knew him.
He is survived by his sweetheart, Joyce of Smithfield: seven children, Debra (Wyn) Whitehead, Prescott, Ariz.; Doug Stark of Logan: Jeff Stark of Fort Collins, Colo; Les (Shannon) Stark of San Diego, Calif.: Curtis Stark of Lewiston; Jay C. (Vylinda) Stark of Lewiston: Rhonda (Tim) Mask of North Ogden: nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren: two sisters, Rosie. (James) Christensen of Malad Idaho; Susan (Craig) Chadwick of Ogden; and sisters-in-law, Clista Stark of Layton and Kathryn Stark of Ogden; brother-in-law, Don Ellis of Ogden. He was preceded in death by his parents: a daughter, Janice; three brothers, Darrell, Wayne, and Roy; and a sister, June.