Jay Anthony Brown
Feb. 9, 1947 - Jan. 23, 2025

Our friend and brother Jay passed away peacefully on Jan. 23, 2025 at his home in Manila. Jay was born in Oakland and raised in Hayward. Jay’s father passed away when Jay was seven. He and his younger brother Jim were raised by their mother, Charlotte, and loving grandparents. Jay’s mother emphasized music, nature, film and most of all art. Jay and his brother Jim would spend many days at the Hayward Library drawing everything and anything. Their father was a calligrapher, carpenter and jack-of-all-trades and their mother was also a skilled artist and musician.

Jay excelled in school, he ran cross-country and track and was an accomplished saxophone player. After high school Jay enlisted in the Navy and graduated at the top of his class in boot camp as a sonar man. He was awarded a presidential citation for finding a downed helicopter in the bay of Tonkin. He served on the Destroyer USS Orleck DD886 and mine sweeper USS Leader MOS490. With the GI bill in hand, Jay attended Chabot College with an interest in calligraphy and printing. He then searched for the best art department in the state, and found Humboldt State University and Bill Anderson, a graphic arts professor at HSU. Jay excelled in college and graduated magna cum laude with a major in art and a minor in biology.

Jay met his wife Marcia at Humboldt State University in 1972. Jay was in the graphics department and Marcia was becoming a registered nurse. Their relationship was enhanced by Jay’s love and knowledge of organic vegetable gardening, hiking, backpacking, keen sense of wildlife habitat, bird watching, Shakespeare, the Ashland music festival and family trips to Tahoe. Jay and Marcia had two children together, Amelia and Mario.

Jay, along with friends Bill Ferry and Jim Test, formed the printing business Bug Press in Arcata. Great printing and great times ensued, and Bug Press is still in business today. Jay’s brother Jim was a regular visitor to Humboldt County and they enjoyed playing softball together on the Brain Police, Arcata Muffler and many other teams. Jay was also very proud of helping build and pilot several kinetic sculpture machines with his good friend Stock Schlueter, and very proud to be a Humboldt county artist. Thanks to Jay, his brother also became a permanent resident of Humboldt County, raised a family and still calls this special spot home.

Jay was hired by Humboldt State University to become the school’s graphic artist. All of the preview posters, books, teaching aids and printed material had Jay’s touch during his work at the college. After 25 years and a well deserved retirement, Jay began a new chapter. Thanks to his good friend Bill Chino he was allowed studio space in return for handyman work at the Jacoby Storehouse. Jay drew and painted every day, joined the Redwood Art Association and had many shows up of his work, sometimes three at a time. At 77 he was still climbing up to the roof of the Jacoby Storehouse to put up Christmas decorations, and loved helping to put up the enormous Christmas tree each year.

Jay and his brother Jim took yearly road trips together, usually with a mechanical theme. Their favorite trip was to the vintage car week in Monterey, and the crown jewel was the Monterey Historic races at Laguna Seca raceway where they could not only see the best classic machinery in the world, but hear their incredible sounds and watch them used as they were designed. Jay’s favorite spot in the whole world was at turn 8, the famous corkscrew, top of the hill. A portion of Jay’s ashes will live there forever come this fall.

Jay had an encyclopedic knowledge of naval, aviation and automobile history. He could quote facts on any navy, air force or army, of any nation in the world, at any time in history. On his last road trip, he held court at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville. Oregon, teaching the docents about the aircraft they displayed.

Jay is preceded in death by grandparents Emma and Anthony Vierra, parents Charlotte and James Brown Jr. He is survived by his daughter Amelia Hughes of Hidden Valley Lake, Calif.., son Mario Brown of McKinleyville, their mother Marcia Brenta, of Bayside; brother Jim and Maryann Brown of Fieldbrook; nephews Creighton and Elizabeth Brown of San Rafael and Brandon and Ashley Brown, of McKinleyville; and grandchildren Olivia Brown, Luke Brown and brand new Margot Brown.

There will be a celebration of Jay’s life this May.

Farewell my friend and brother, we will miss you.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Jay Brown’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.