ABBEY, Jay Manning (Judge)

The White Mountain Independent, Show Low, Arizona ~ 08/02/2005 Judge Jay M. Abbey A Life Fulfilled "Jay" Janes Manning Abbey, died peacefully Saturday, July 30, 2005 surrounded by family and friends, after a lengthy battle with Parkinson's disease. He was born March 21, 1932 the eldest of three sons of William and Virginia Abbey. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, he moved to Arizona to attended ASU, where he became an avid "Sun Devils Fan." Jay received his law degree at the UofA in the early 60s. His law career was varied, including positions as Tucson City Prosecutor, Tucson Asst. City Attorney, Asst. Utility Director for the Arizona Corp. Commission, Administrator of the State Insurance Department of Arizona and Special Assistant Attorney General for the Arizona Corp. Comm. and Arizona Insurance Department. Jay was originally appointed by Governor Bruce Babbitt to serve as a Navajo County Superior Court Judge in 1980. He served with distinction, until he was forced to take a medical retirement in 1993 due to Parkinson's and heart problems. Besides the honor of serving as a Superior Court Judge, he felt especially privileged to dedicate service as a Judge on the Hopi Supreme Court, the Apache Tribal Court and Apache Court of Appeals, and a member of the Navajo Nation Judicial Conduct Comm. Jay served on many State task forces, including the Governor's Council on Children, Youth and Families, the Governor's Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Advisory Council and Kids Voting. He implemented the Moot Court program in Navajo County, and served many years on the State Moot Court competition for high school students, resulting in special recognition from the Arizona State Bar Association in 1993 for his contributions to law-related education. He was the driving force for the Legal Assistant Program at NPC in the early 90s. Jay is listed in Who's Who in American Law (5th Ed.), Who's Who in Arizona (1989-90), Who's Who in the West (21st Ed.), and the American Bench (1991-92). Jay felt especially privileged to be given the "Friend of Holbrook" award, which was instituted in his honor. He deeply enjoyed his affiliations with the Elks and the V.F.W. Jay was always known for his fair yet compassion approach to being a judge. He had a deep respect for jurors and special affection for the Court Staffs. He possessed an astute grasp of the U.S. Constitution while being blest with the wisdom to separate truth from fiction in a courtroom. Having driven sprint cars at Manzanita racetrack a time or two, he loved racing and his sports cars. He was a gourmet cook and an accomplished raconteur. His greatest loves were his family and friends. In addition to his loving wife Anne of 24 years, he is also survived by his three adult children, William Abbey and grandson Paul of Flagstaff, Jay C. Abbey and grandson Christopher of Lexington, KY, and daughter Laura (David) Thomas and grandson Ryan McCray of Show Low; youngest brother, Daniel Abbey of California, sister-in-law, Jodie Abbey, and nephew and nieces. He was preceded in death by his mother, father, a baby daughter, and a younger brother, Ken Abbey, the family's avid "Wildcat Fan." Memorial Services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 5, at the Holbrook Stake Center the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In Lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Bread of Life Mission, P.O. Box 246, Holbrook, AZ 86025, Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014, or a charity of your choice. Owens Mortuary of Show Low handled the arrangements. For those who have special memories or would like to send private condolences or to sign the online guest book, you are invited to visit www.owens ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The White Mountain Independent, Show Low, Arizona ~ 08/05/2005 By:Donna Rescorla, The Independent 08/05/2005 Judge Abbey ordered robes from a company and sent the bill to the supervisors who refused to pay it, saying he could get them cheaper elsewhere. Abbey then wrote a court order demanding the board pay for them. The board did. HOLBROOK - Janes Manning 'Jay' Abbey will be remembered for his kindness, his generosity and his sense of humor. The former Navajo County Superior Court judge died July 30 at the age of 73 after a lengthy battle with Parkinson's disease. He was appointed to the bench by Governor Bruce Babbitt in 1980 and served until 1993 when he took a medical retirement because of the Parkinson's and heart problems. Sheriff Gary Butler knew him in Show Low before either one worked with the county. "He was one of the best judges Navajo County ever had," Butler said. "He was fair in his decisions even if they weren't the ones I wanted. He made decisions I didn't agree with but he was right. "He was always easy to talk to and tried to help people. I don't think anybody could say a bad thing about him, even if they had to appear before him. He did what he thought was right. "We saw each other at social events and I really liked to associate with him." Superior Court Judge Tom Wing knew Abbey well, practicing law with him when they were both attorneys and serving on the bench with him for a brief time before Abbey retired. "He was a vital part of the legal and judicial community of Navajo County," Wing said. "As an attorney he was a strong advocate for his clients. "He was also a very personable individual to associate with." Abbey's contributions to the county and the state are many. Besides serving in the Superior Court, he also was a judge on the Hopi Supreme Court, the Apache Tribal Court and Court of Appeals and as a member of the Navajo Nation Judicial Conduct Commission. Over the years he was Tucson City Prosecutor, Tucson Assistant City Attorney, Assistant Utility Director for the Arizona Corporation Commission, Administrator of the State Insurance Department of Arizona, and Special Assistant Attorney General for the Arizona Corporation Commission and the Arizona Insurance Department. He also served on several state task forces and started the Moot Court program for high school students in Navajo County as well as championed the implementation of the Legal Assistant program at Northland Pioneer College in the early 1990s. Clerk of the Court Juanita Mann, who worked with Abbey during his tenure, said he was fun to work with and a very caring person who would sometimes give money to people who had to go to court if they needed it. "He had a great sense of humor," Mann said. "Even when he got mad at you, you still liked him and five minutes later, it was over. I always liked him. We had many run-ins but never stayed mad at each other. He would clear the air but never let it go on. I really missed him when he left. I'm glad I have these memories of him." Former Navajo County Supervisor Lewis Tenney said, "I knew him and loved him. He always tried to do the best for people." Tenney related an incident in which a young man had been sent down to the jail where he sat for three months with no visitors, even his parents almost giving up on him. Tenney said he went to talk to the young man and then went to Judge Abbey. He told Abbey if he let the young man go, he would give him a job and send weekly letters to the judge letting him know of the progress he had made. At that point, Abbey had the young man brought before him and said, "Lewis Tenney is my friend and I will let you go home with him. But if you don't do what you are told and change your ways, I will have you before me again quickly." Tenney said the young man worked for him for four or five years, turning his life around, later. He later left the state and is married with a family. "That's the kind of man Judge Abbey was," Tenney said. "He was willing to try to help people, willing to stick his neck out. I always appreciated that he would take that chance. He did that several times because he had faith in people." Abbey also loved his country, Tenney said, recalling a time when the judge saw someone flying the flag improperly. He knew Tenney knew the people so he asked him to call and tell them how to fly it correctly. "He was a very personable guy," Tenney said. "He was a great asset to Navajo County." Supervisor J.R. DeSpain was county treasurer when Abbey served on the bench. "As elected officials we met to discuss issues and it was a special occasion when the judge came in," DeSpain said. "When he came before the supervisors during budget talks, he could be really comical. He didn't feel the board could act against anything in his budget. "He would make fun of the process but he knew it had to be that way. He fully expected the board to approve his budget. He was always a really confident person." At one time, he said, Abbey had ordered robes from a company and sent the bill to the supervisors who refused to pay it, saying he could get them cheaper elsewhere. Abbey then wrote a court order demanding the board pay for them. The board did. "He was always fun at parades and when we were campaigning," DeSpain said. "His wife, Anne, was the best campaign manager in the state. She was very supportive of him. They made a good team and he gave her all the credit. "The judge was a lot of fun and he wasn't afraid to joke but he was serious enough when people were before him on the bench." When not on the bench or working as an attorney, Abbey loved racing and his sports car. He was also a gourmet cook and an accomplished storyteller. His greatest loves were his family and friends. He survived by his wife; three adult children, William, J.C. Abbey and Laura (David) Thomas; and three grandsons. A memorial service for Abbey will be held today, Friday, Aug. 5, at the Holbrook LDS Stake Center at 2 p.m.