Jay (John Patrick) O'Malley

Jay (John Patrick) O’Malley December 16, 2024

Jay O’Malley, 77, of North Scranton, passed on Monday evening at Hospice of the Sacred Heart, Dunmore. He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Mary Ellen O’Malley, who held his hand until the end. He left a legacy that will be remembered forever by all of the friends and family he touched throughout his life. 

Jay was born in Scranton on November 25, 1947 to the late John Patrick and Alice May O’Malley. Jay served his country honorably in the United States Air Force, attaining the rank of Sergeant and was honorably discharged in 1970. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Scranton in 1975.

Family was the most important aspect of Jay’s life. There was no better father, grandfather, brother or uncle. He coached little league and taught his sons to fish and golf. He had an unbreakable and nurturing father-daughter relationship and was the best “pa” to his grandchildren, never shy about teasing his grandson with a healthy Red Sox - Yankees rivalry. He was like a second father to his in-laws, nieces and nephews. He was always available to his extended family and will be dearly missed by all of them. 

Jay spent more than 30 years as the Director of Development for St. Joseph’s Center in Scranton. He helped raise millions of dollars in donations for children and others diagnosed with intellectual disabilities. He believed in the core values of St. Joseph’s Center, “care, concern, compassion and commitment” and did his best to ensure those values could be furthered through the generous donations of others. His favorite time of year was producing the annual St. Joseph’s Center Telethon which highlighted the generosity of the community and their commitment to helping so many children. 

Prior to his work at St. Joseph’s Center, Jay held several positions including Assistant Public Affairs Director for East Stroudsburg University, Director of Community Affairs and Public Relations for Lackawanna County, and Director of Public Relations for the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. Jay was also an Editor for the Carbondale News and a former reporter for the Scranton Times. 

Jay was an avid fisherman and golfer, reeling in a 33lb King Salmon on Lake Ontario and scored a hole in one in golf which may or may not have had the assistance of a tree. More importantly he had an amazing group of fishing and golfing buddies who could make you laugh for days with their stories and more importantly, were always there for each other when needed. Jay was always there to assist friends in need, never for the acknowledgment or the pat on the back, but only because he loved giving a helping hand anyway he could. 

Jay was heavily involved in the community with organizations such as Mary, Mother of God Parish, the National Catholic Development Conference, Big Brother / Big Sisters of Lackawanna County, Campaign for Human Development - Diocese of Scranton, the Scranton Public Library, the Lackawanna River Corridor Association, North Scranton Rotary Club and the North Scranton Little League.. He was also a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and one of his greatest joys was marching in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade with his family, especially his late father. 

Jay is survived by his wife Mary Ellen, Scranton, his daughter Kathleen Connor, and her husband Anthony, Scranton, his son Patrick, and his wife Diana, Allentown, and his son Kevin, and his wife Gladys, Redondo Beach, CA. Jay loved and adored his five grandchildren, Sarah and Liam Connor, and Lauren, Allison and Isabella O’Malley. Jay is also survived by his two sisters, Judith Fedor, and her husband Vince, Scranton, and Mary Anne Mendicino, Scranton, who was preceded in death by her husband Anthony, his sisters in law, Kathleen Cimino, who was preceded in death by her husband William Cimino, Patricia Padeletti and her husband Fred, and brothers-in-law, Robert Somers, and his wife Martha, and Andrew Novak, who was preceded in death by his wife Barbara. 

The O’Malley Family would like to thank the nurses, social workers and staff at the Hospice of Sacred Heart in Dunmore who provided amazing care to Jay and compassionate support to his family. 

The funeral will be conducted on Saturday, December 21, 2024 with Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at 10:00 am in Holy Rosary Church, 320 William Street, Scranton. The family will receive relatives and friends at the church from 8:30 am until the commencement of services. Burial will follow at Cathedral Cemetery, Scranton. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to St. Joseph’s Center, 2010 Adams Avenue, Scranton, 18509 and Hospice of Sacred Heart, 600 Baltimore Drive # 7, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 

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