John William "Jay" Stovall
1943 - 2021
John "Jay" William Stovall,
77, died May 2, 2021, in Newton, Kansas, surrounded by his family.
He was born in Watson, Arkansas, on
August 31, 1943, the son of Cephas and Ova (Townsend) Stovall.
Jay was united in marriage to Monica
Blankenship on September 17, 1976, in Indio, California. They were
married for 44 years at the time of Jay's passing.
From 1960-1963 Jay was enlisted in the
army. He served as a Specialist and was a member of 2nd US Army 10th
Trans Co. at Ft. Eustis VA. Prior to his time at Ft. Eustis Jay was
stationed overseas at Coleman Kaserne, Gehlnhausen Germany.
Following his military service, Jay
returned to his home in California and began working in golf course
construction. He continued in golf course construction for over 40
years as a Project Superintendent for Daylen Inc. of Fresno, CA.
Jay enjoyed spending time with his
family most of all. He also enjoyed taking motorcycle rides with his
wife Monica on his Harley Davidson. Traveling was a passion of Jay's
and he loved to travel all over the U.S. especially historical sites
and landmarks.
Everyone that met Jay knows that he was
a hard worker, if he was not working, he was traveling. He was a
generous man that was always willing to lend a helping hand. If you
were ever in need and asked for help, Jay would be there. Jay loved
the old west and watching westerns. He always like to say he was born
in the wrong era. He loved to show you a new way to solve a problem
and to discuss current events. He was proud of his military service
and loved to tell stories of his experiences in the Army.
Jay is survived by his loving wife,
Monica Stovall; son, Danny (Lesley) Stovall of Michigan, daughters,
Kelly (Brian) Smead of California and Jennifer (Tim) Bayes of
Florida; 8 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.
Jay was preceded in death by his
parents; Son, Mark Stovall; granddaughter, Ashley Stovall; brother,
Junior Stovall; sisters, Avalene Mabry, Laverne Brown and Virginia
Martinez.
A visitation will be held from 4:00
p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Friday, May 7th at Petersen Funeral Home in
Newton. Graveside service will be at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 8th,
at Greenwood Cemetery in Newton.
Memorial contributions in Jay's name
may be made to the American Cancer Society for Lung Cancer Research
in care of Petersen's Funeral Home.
