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Always a little too softhearted, trusting and comical for this world, Jay was found dead in his home on April 15, 2013. An autopsy was performed and the death was ruled accidental. This gentle friendly soul entertained us for 54 years and left us wanting just one more hilarious description of his recent antics. He was the proud father of identical twin daughters Jennifer and Jessica Rudolph (Mayo Class of 2004) and the adoring grandpop to Baylie and Aidan. Jay is also survived by his mother Elaine, who is under care for memory illness in Minnetonka; siblings Sandy (Mayo Class of '71) Gary and Lora Rudolph (both Mayo Class of '74) & Susan Rudolph Servick (Mayo Class of '78). Susan is married to Charlie Servick, JM Class of '78. Jay loved snowmobiling, jet skiing, racing cars, and working in his garage on anything that had an engine. He was known for his remarkable talent in auto body work, and once completely rebuilt and restored a house in Sargeant, MN. He was adored by his family, liked by nearly everyone who met him, and had a unique flair for storytelling. He never held a grudge or even formed one despite having many setbacks in life, including a work injury that left his dominant hand disabled. He explored his own life design, had a trusting allegiance to the belief that people were fundamentally good, and was unruffled by experiences that would send the rest of us in to therapy. Jay's ashes were interred, as he wished, next to those of our dad, Dale Rudolph, who had passed away in 2004. This is an inconsolable loss, and we will never find a substitute. He was one of a kind. |
