Walter Jay Eldredge

October 9, 1937 - July 27, 2013

Dr. Walter Jay Eldredge passed away on July 27, 2013 surrounded by his love ones. Dr. Eldredge better known to his family and friends as Jay was born on October 9, 1937 in Salt Lake City, Utah; his beloved parents were Walter Joshua and Marjorie Ormsby Eldredge. He spent his entire youth in Salt Lake City nurturing his mind and spirituality. He appreciated and loved his family, and also his ancestry. The Eldredge family was one of the first families to establish Cape Cod in MA in the early 1600, and a library still bears the family name. The Eldredge's are direct descent of Elnathan Eldredge and one of original pioneers of the Mormon Church who settled Salt Lake valley in 1847. On his mother's side, the family has a direct ancestry to Orson Hyde, who also was a pioneer and served as an apostle under Bringham Young. Orson's Son married John Taylor's daughter (3rd President of the LDS Church) resulting with a son, Orson John Hyde, Jay's grandfather. Jay would often recount the summers at Grandpa and Nana Hyde's gentlemen's farm where he and his family, uncles, aunts and cousins would enjoy fried chicken and donuts around the campfire and creek. Jay learned to be a hard worker from his father who often worked on home projects; Jay would say that his mother would be afraid to leave the house because of what she would find. His mother appreciated the fine artist and Jay was instilled with the same love. He learned how to play the piano at an early age, he also loved to paint. Siblings would say Jay was the leader or ?king of the siblings, making each of them pawns in his garage play productions or pioneer parades. Jay graduate from East High and serviced on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. After returning from his mission in Germany, he studied premed at the University of Utah, and was a bother of the beta house. He received his medical degree from George Washington University in Washington D.C., and did his residency at the Medical College of Virginia (known now as Virginia Commonwealth University) in Richmond, Virginia. (During this period he became lifetime friends with Dr. George Bailey and his wife Shirley, now residents of Villa Rica, GA and Sea Grove, FL. Besides having gone to the same school and training, Jay and George had a love for the Opera, while Shirley and Jay enjoyed their passion for cooking.) Dr. Eldredge chose to become a cardiologist, specializing in pediatric congenital heart disease. He was offered a position with Deborah Heart and Lung Hospital in Brown Mills, NJ. The hospital was known as one of the top research hospitals, and still is considered a leading charitable hospital. Jay held many positions during his 38 years of continuous service with Deborah. His first love was pediatric and then became responsible for the adult congenital heart disease program. He was well-known as a leader in the field using CT imaging as a way to diagnoses heart conditions. Jay authored articles and books and was a highly sought-after speaker for medical conferences on the subject. One of the most memorable highlights of his practice came when he traveled with several of his colleagues to Poland after the Solidarity Movement to help children with congenital heart disease. The charitable humanitarian effort Children of the World was a great success. Pope John Paul II, invited Dr. Eldredge and his colleagues for a private audience and papal blessing at the Vatican for their outstanding humanitarian efforts. Their efforts were also highlighted on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. After honorably serving his fellowman his entire adult life, he retired and lived at Harbour Cove South in Somers Point, NJ, his small oasis of tranquility. He loved the Jersey shore sharing it with his family and friends. Jay enjoyed sunset cruises, crabbing, and the bay views on his deck while completing the New York crossword puzzle, in addition, he was an avid reader, mostly mystery novels. He also was a long time resident of Medford, NJ, where he played an activate role in youth programs. He volunteered his medical services as a team physician for many of the local sports programs, and invited the Boy Scotts to enjoy his backyard pool. He also hosted wonderful dinner parties where the guests all gathered around the piano and had sing-alongs way into the evening. Jay will be laid to rest in the family plot in Salt Lake City near his beloved parents. A memorial service will be held at the Deborah Heart and Lung Center Auditorium in New Jersey, date to be determined. Jay had a saying, Carpe Diem, and yes he did. He will be loved and missed by all. Jay is survived by his life partner, Bouke Bob Sjored Ecoma Verstege and his wonderful four siblings. He has three caring and supportive sisters and their husbands, Heidi and William Vriens , Sharon and Randy Harsmen, Rosemary and David Olson all from Salt Lake City, and his brother Brent Eldredge and his wife Cynthia of Sandy, UT. Brent manages the family business, Eldredge Furniture. Jay was very proud of his father's business and for Brent who took over the operations. Jay is also survived by cousins and numerous nieces, nephews and grandnieces, and grandnephews. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Deborah Heart and Lung Foundation in Browns Mills, NJ, AtlantiCare Hospice in Pleasantville, NJ or The Alzheimer's Association.