Jay Wendell Hoover

April 10, 1960 – October 21, 2025

Jay Wendell Hoover, of Portland OR, passed away of a heart attack on October 21, 2025. Born in Pottsville, PA, on April 10, 1960, he was the youngest child of the late Lester Martin Hoover and Lena Weaver Hoover.

Jay is survived by his wife of 27 years, Elaine Ruth Martin, of Portland, OR, and their daughter, Elsa Grace Hoover. Also surviving are three sisters, Ruth Hoover Seitz of Harrisburg, PA; Esther Hoover Bucher of Lititz, PA; and Sharon Weaver Hoover, of Spokane, WA.

As a young man Jay was fiercely athletic, and befriended all.  Jay graduated from Temple University (PA) in 1983 with a degree in Theater, and from Georgetown Law School (DC) in 1991. Among his rich and varied work settings, he was most instrumental in helping his friend, Phil Wenger, set up and manage the first Isaac’s restaurant in downtown Lancaster (1983 – 84); he was a plumber in NYC (1985 – 88), he was an Associate Attorney in Washington DC in the law firm of Perkins Coie LLP; he worked in the White House for former President Bill Clinton (1992 – 94) and then in the U.S. Department of Justice (1994 – 2006); and he recently retired from the non-profit, Northworld LLC / SchoolAuction.net fundraising platform after more than fifteen years as Director of Support. He felt especially drawn to supporting public schools.  He participated in various parent/teacher organizations and enjoyed donating items requested by teachers for their classrooms.  He was full of curiosity, and after meeting him for the first time, it didn’t take long to make a connection. He especially enjoyed politics and was able to see “the big picture,”  offering inciteful comments to the news broadcasters that frequently became reported reality days later.

Those who knew Jay well characterize him as brilliant, warm, creative, passionate, yes, on occasion, even intense! He had a commanding and powerful presence, often relishing the role of the rebel.  While he railed against the system he clearly cared deeply about and remained engaged with the people and the setting of his childhood. He had a special affection for children and animals. His quick wit, and comfort with “being on stage” made him playful and fun to be with. Jay was a frequent and excellent storyteller, sharing his tales with friends, family, and on occasion with the public during The Moth Radio Hour sets in Portland.  He was also a devoted cinephile, watching several movies a day, when possible. He participated in numerous movie ventures, including acting as an extra in the barn-raising scene in the movie “Witness.”  His time as an actor didn’t imbue him with a love of dressing up.  He had a “uniform” of cotton shorts and a t-shirt which he wore all the time, in fact one year he was invited to a Halloween party, he appeared almost unrecognizable in a suit.

Jay’s love for world travel began when he circumnavigated the globe alone as a teenager. Throughout his life, he enjoyed long, unprogrammed road trips in North America. He was a caring person who remained loyal to his life-long friends and family members. He celebrated his early Mennonite roots, which honed his excellent tenor voice.  He found a special community when he joined the Satori Men’s Chorus. Those who wish can use the “Donate” button at https://www.satorichorus.org/support-satori/.

Slide Show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEQQZgj3SMA

Celebration of Life for Jay Hoover in Portland Oregon on November 13, 2025:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxoEoaNRbVA

Celebration of Life for Jay Hoover at West Art in Lancaster on Dec. 6, 2025:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/8838pme2spe5sakg85js7/JayHooverLancaster.mp4?e=1