"I was shocked to learn recently of Jay's passing. I knew Jay only by virtue of being his client. I have had almost no satisfactory dealings with lawyers; Jay was the exception. His absence is felt far beyond his family and social friends."
In loving memory of
Paul Jay Wataha
October 23, 1957 - November 11, 2006
Paul Jay Wataha, age 49, of Austin, passed away Saturday, November 11, 2006.Jay was born in Rock Springs, Wyoming on October 23, 1957. He was married to Lora Sue Wataha and was the father of three children, Lucinda, age 20, Paul, age 18 and Dori, age 14. He is also survived by his mother, Dorothy and father, Paul, of Rock Springs, Wyoming; brothers, John and his wife, Mary Jo of Augusta, Georgia and Joe and his wife, Patti and their daughters, Katie and Erin of Grand Junction, Colorado. Jay was dedicated to his children. His hobbies included sports and crime dramas.Jay attended Rock Springs High School where he was starting player on State Championship basketball team. He graduated from the University of Utah in accounting, received a masters degree in business and became a CPA. He continued his education and graduated from University of Utah School of Law.Jay was the Past President of Austin Groups for the Elderly and also served on other charitable organizations. He was a past partner at McGinnis, Lochridge & Kilgore and most recently had a private practice specializing in Taxes and Estate Planning.Jay was a kind, gentle and generous man, a friend and hero to many, and will be missed by all who knew him.A memorial service will be held 10:00 A.M. Friday, November 17, 2006 atHarrell Funeral Home Chapel in Austin. Guest book and obituary available online at harrellfuneralhomes.com 4435 Frontier Trail Austin, TX 78745 512-443-1366
Tributes
"Jay was one of the most amazing people that I had ever met. He was a wonderful father and has 3 wonderful kids to show for it. His children all have characteristics of his and through them he will live on. I loved him like a second father and I still can't believe what happened. It took me this long to sign this. I will never forget "Sunspot" and the wonderful memories I share of him with his family."
"Sincere condolances on the loss of Jay. His untimely death diminishes us all. God Bless you all and I wish you comfort. Chris"
"I was very sad to learn about Jay's passing. I didn't get to meet him until I moved to Rock Springs as a Junior in H.S., but I will also remember that he made me feel welcome as the new kid in town. I remember him as kind, gentle, and bright person and I'm sure that those qualities carried him well into his adult life. I will never forget the look of joy on his face after we won the State Basketball Championship. My sincere condolences are offered to his family and friends."
"Dear Wataha Family, I am sorry to hear of the death of your loved one. I hope this letter find you doing as well as can be expected! Have you ever wondered, is there a remedy for death? If so, what hope is there for the dead? Will we ever see our loved ones again? We can because the Bible makes this promise: "Your dead ones will live...They will rise up." And the Bible also says: "The righteous themselves will possess the earth and they will reside forever upon it." --Isaiah 26:19; Psalm 37:29. We can have real confidence in such promises, because Almighty God has not only the power, but also the desire to resurrect persons whom he chooses. Jesus Christ himself said: "Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out."--Luke 20:37, 38. What a time that will be, to be reunited with our dead loved ones again be means of a resurrection right here on earth under peaceful righteous conditions! I hope this has helped you some to cope with your lose. Christian Love C. Marks, Sr"
"I was saddened to learn of Jay's passing. I have great memories of Jay through our college years and wish his family the best. He was a good friend to me. Take care one and all."
"I am deeply saddened by the news of Jay's passing. Jay was a good friend since childhood, and the best man at my wedding. I will cherish the memories we had in our life time. My thoughts and prayers our with your family. Jay was a genuinely good person and I will miss him."
"I was devastated to hear of Jay's passing. I will always remember the comfort smile, the laugh and especially the genuine kindness of Jay. I was very fortunate to cross paths with a talented individual who cared for so many others. He gave me inspirtations to never give up on anything that seemed unbeatable. I will miss seeing him and miss the great talks of life we shared. God bless the family and friends who knew him."
"Jay, You will truly be missed. I will always remember your sense of humor and smile. From meeting YOU I have become a better person,father and friend. I Thank You. May God Bless you and Your Family always."
"Jay was an inspiration and a kind soul. He touched many lives and will be dearly missed. May his memory live on forever."
"Lora, Dori, Paul, Lucinda, I am so sorry for your loss. Jay was one of the most cheerful people I ever met. I believe he passed so many good things on to you. I noticed you three, Paul, Lucinda and Dori as kids, for your intelligent, aware way of being and I credit Jay and Lora for that. Having a loving family is something I admired about Jay- and seems more rare these days. I know many members of my family share these sentiments. I send my deepest sympathy and will be with you in spirit. Please stay in touch- Joaquin"
"Our deepest sympathies go out to you. We had the pleasure of knowing Jay, Lora, Lucy, Paul and Dori as neighbors. There will always be fond memories of Jay at the sidelines faithfully supporting Dori during our daughters' soccer games and as a gracious host for their sleepovers. Our thoughts and prayers are with you."
"Jay was like the brother I never had, his sudden passing took me and many of us by surprise. I am truly blessed to have been able to call him brother and friend for over 11 yrs. My condolences go out to his family, father Paul, mother Dorothy, brothers John, Joe, wife Lora, and children Lucinda, Paul,and Dorie. Jay you will be missed by all of us who were lucky enough to know and love you."
"We were shocked to read the obituary of this fine and most likable man. We knew him only through our lawyer-client relationship, but we had become close enough that we shared confidences regarding our respective family problems and their hoped for solutions. He will be sorely missed. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his children, parents, and siblings."
"I have referred my clients to Jay for several years for their estate needs. He was one of the most honest and caring attorneys I have ever come in contact with. He will be greatly missed."
"Though I knew Jay for a short time. I was blessed to have known him. My condolences to his family. My prayers are with you all and God Bless."
"Years ago, our families lived on the same cove for awhile. I am so sorry to hear of Paul's passing. My heart goes out to Dori and the rest of the family. Sincerely, GW"
"We loved Jay and feel very lucky to have known him. Our sorrow is deep, and we offer peace to your family. A tree will be planted in our yard to honor his memory."
"We had the privilege of meeting Jay when Dori joined our rec soccer team, back in the good ole' days. Jay was a wonderful father...he will surely be missed by all. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Wataha Family."
"I am so sad for Jay and his family, especially his children. I knew him for a short time, in the late 80s, when he joined our Seniors' Respite Service board. He was soft-spoken and kind and clearly wanted more to serve than to show off. He had great ideas and always followed up on what he said he would do. Working with him for the good of the elderly was a pleasure. Please accept my deepest condolences for losing him way too soon."
"We are so sorry to learn of Jay's death. We will always remember him as a kind, gentle man, and most of all a wonderful father to Lucinda, Paul and our special friend Dori. Lucy Joyce and Allison Joyce"
"how sad i am to write about jay passing........i will always remember the way he told his "rattle snake story" and laughing............he was full of life and seemed to enjoy everything, especially his and lora's beautiful children, lucy "la belle fille", paul "skateboarder extrodinaire", and adorable, "super soccer girl"....dori!! how proud and happy he was of his family! the world has lost a beautiful, generous, funny, and gentle soul...... ....hope you can watch down and see everything jay............and party on! with such sadness ...... kathy binion"
"Jay and I have been friends since he came to Austin. He was one of the kindest souls I have ever met. He was also a talented lawyer and was a consultant to me for tax issues many times. He testified as an expert in a case for me that resulted in a $70 million verdict. His testimony was pivotal. I know how dear you three children were to Jay because he shared his concerns for your welfare, and joys over your triumphs many times. I am so very sorry for your loss and all of you will be in my prayers."
"I have had the pleasure of knowing Jay Wataha for several years and working with him on numerous client's estate plans. He was a very honest and caring individual as well as an excellent estate planning attorney. When discussing cases, it was common for us to digress and share up-to-date stories about our families. Jay absolutely adored his children and would always smile when talking about them. He was a class act. It was my priviledge to have known Jay and more so to be able to call him my friend."
"My deepest sympathies extend to the family; Even though I only knew Jay for a very short period in life, He was a friend from day one. Godspeed Jay, Godspeed."
"I only knew Jay for a short period of time, but i was lucky to know him at all. His passing was very unexpected to me, it just didn't seem real to me at first, but at least we all know he is now in a better place. R.I.P."