July 31, 1933 - December 12, 2017
Marcella "Marj" Y. Hay Obituary
Marcella (Marj) Hay died December 12, 2017. John Gardner Hay died two days later on December 14, 2017. Both passed peacefully in the company of family and friends.
Marcella Marjie Youlden was born on July 31, 1933 to parents Edward T. Youlden and Marcella (ne Pemberton) Youlden in Butte, MT. After graduating from Butte High School, Marj attended Northwestern College in Chicago for one year. She transferred to the University of Washington in Seattle where she completed her Bachelors degree in Education. She pledged Delta Gamma at the University of Washington and was an active member of the sorority, where she met many lifelong friends.
John Gardner Hay was born on June 3, 1925 to parents Jennie (ne Alcorn), and Thomas Reed Hay in Altoona, PA. John graduated from Altoona High School and then attended Williams College in Williamstown, MA. He earned his bachelors degree in History. While at Williams John was the sports editor of the school paper, and served as President of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity. John served in the Navy at the end of World War II, with active duty aboard the U.S.S. Indianapolis completed just days before it was sunk by a Japanese submarine. He was awarded the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. He earned his Masters of Divinity at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge and was ordained an Episcopal priest on December 21, 1954. Johns first assignment took him west to the state of Montana where he met Marj on a blind date, and they married three months later.
Their first child, Michael, was born in Sheridan, MT. They then moved to Dillon where John was called to be the rector of St. James Parish. Their three daughters, Jennifer, Martha and Juliana (Julie) were born in Dillon, where Marj also was active with the Beaverhead and Madison county Easter Seals. In 1966, John took a position as Deputy Director with the Peace Corps in Nairobi, Kenya and the family relocated to Nairobi. When they returned to the United States 14 months later, they moved the family to Spokane, WA where John was called to be the priest at St Stephens Episcopal Church. They settled permanently in Spokane to raise their family. During his 23 years at St. Stephens, John initiated many new programs and achieved many firsts in the diocese, a few of them being: First Folk Mass, First Female Acolytes, First Stephens Ministry, First Columbarium and First Stations of the Cross for Children. He was also a founding member, and later, president of, the Spokane County Alcoholic Council, served on many boards including Hospice and Planned Parenthood, and John was an active member of the Lions Club and other civic organizations. He also served many diocesan roles including Executive Council, Board of Trustees, Standing committee, Commission Ministry as well as leading many retreats.
After moving to Spokane, Marj went back to school and earned her Masters degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology at Eastern Washington University. She went on to have a very successful career as a speech therapist, working with the Pediatric Group at the Rockwood Clinic for over 30 years. Her career included board membership on the CCC-SLP, and she was a member of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. Throughout her life, Marj was a member of various womens organizations including Junior League and PEO (50 years plus). John's last position, which he held until his passing, was an assisting priest at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, where he continued his pastoral care work and led a Bible study group. John loved to write poetry and was proud to have self-published his own book of poems just days before his death, The Old Mill. Marj and John loved traveling together, visiting many foreign countries as well as seeing a great deal of the United States. They spent summers at the family lake cabin in Montana, their favorite place to be. They shared many happy times at the lake with their beloved extended family, spanning five generations. Marj and John wouldve celebrated their 60th anniversary this coming June. They shared an everlasting bond, a deep love and a wicked sense of humor.
They are survived by their children, Michael Hay, Jennifer (ne Hay) Steward and Julie Hay; four grandchildren, Anna Eilertsen, Thomas Eilertsen, Callum Steward, Nathan Steward; foster daughter, Juanita Selway and family; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. They are predeceased by their daughter, Martha Hay, their parents, and Marjs sister, Robbie (ne Youlden) Gold.
A joint Memorial Eucharist service for Marj and John will be held at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Spokane, WA on Friday, January 26, 2018 at 4:00pm. To honor their lives, the family asks that you consider a donation to your preferred childrens charity or to Hospice House of Spokane, South Hill.
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