Sonia Maria Jay, age 94, passed away peacefully on November 14, 2020 in Venice, Florida. She will be greatly missed. Her joyful spirit and zest for life was an inspiration for us all. She was born September 26, 1926 in Marlboro, Massachusetts to Arthur and Svea (Palm) Houde. She graduated from Gloucester High School and Memorial Hospital Nursing School in Worcester as an RN. She was a Cadet Nurse and married Paul Jay on September 15, 1949 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Sonia worked in hospitals in Massachusetts and Florida until moving to Sedro-Woolley, Washington in 1964. She was a longtime member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church. She loved working as a Health Coordinator and School Nurse for the Head Start and Follow-Through programs for 17 years until her retirement. Since retirement, she and Paul had been spending the “rainy half” of the year in Los Barriles, Baja Mexico. The other half of the year had been spent living with her daughter and son in law, Susan and Lewis Trout in Sedro-Woolley and recently Venice Florida.
Sonia is survived by her daughter, Susan (Lewis) Trout, son, Paul Jay (Karen Dec); grandchildren, Adam (Aimee) Trout, Cody (Tamara) Trout (both Adam and Cody were married on Paul and Sonia’s Anniversary), Ashley (Bryce) Durbin, Nathaniel (Ciara) Jay, Alex Jay, Zane Jay, Aleasha Jay, Hannah Rochelle, Chatham Rochelle and Chase Rochelle; great-grandchildren, Savanah, Caleb, Sofia, Luca and Freya.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Paul; son, Joseph; sisters, Sheila Ellis and Sandra Alexander.
A Graveside Memorial Service will be held in Sedro-Woolley in the Spring of 2021. She is now at rest next to her husband, Paul at Union Cemetery, Sedro-Woolley. Memorial contributions are suggested in her name to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Human Life group. Share your memories of Sonia and sign the online guest register.
Sonja and Paul were good neighbors to my parents. I was fortunate to grow up in that neighborhood and I am grateful to Sonja for the memories.
Bless her, she was a great personality and we all gained by knowing her. I remember her with such joy and laughter.
Sonia, you are and will be missed … do wish we’d had a closer friendship while we worked together in Follow Through. You were admired for your zest for life and determined spirit.
I was sorry to read that Sonia has passed away. I so enjoyed the time I spent with her and Paul during their later years and missed her when she moved. There wasn’t a sweeter human being on this earth. I think of her every day when I use the potholders she made for me. She and Paul are together now.