Jay Michael Imrie

Click here to view Jay's Time of Sharing.

Click here to view Jay's Memorial Service.

     Jay M. Imrie, 64, of Aberdeen, SD, passed away peacefully Friday, June 8, 2018, at his home in Aberdeen.   

     A Celebration of Life will be 10:00 a.m., Friday, June 15, 2018, at Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, with Scott Cunningham leading the service.

     Jay’s wishes were to be cremated. Interment will be at Hillside Cemetery at Lily, SD at a later date.

     Visitation will be 5:00-6:30 p.m., Thursday, at the mortuary, with family and friends welcome.  A Time of Sharing and Memories will begin at 6:30 p.m.

     Friends and family should feel free to sign Jay’s online guestbook and share photos and memories with his family on the mortuary’s website, www.shriversmemorial.com. You may also view his service via the live stream link on the website as well.

     Jay was extremely proud of his wife’s service with the Red Cross, especially when she spent two weeks in September 2017, serving in Texas following Hurricane Harvey. The family requests memorials in honor of Jay, and in lieu of flowers, be sent to Eastern SD Chapter of the Red Cross.  The family will also be donating all memorials received to the Red Cross to be used in the greater Aberdeen area.

     Jay’s family wishes to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at Don & Carmen Meyer Center of Excellence (Avera Cancer Institute), Avera Hospice, the Sixth Sense AA group, and his special, lifelong friends, Scott and Lori Cunningham.

     Jay Michael Imrie was born April 17, 1954, to William and Theresa (Geier) Imrie in Webster, SD. Jay was raised in Bristol, SD where he attended school and participated in sports. Jay met the love of his life, Charla, in 1971 in high school.

     Jay and Charla married on March 31, 1973 in Webster, SD. Jay was fortunate to spend his entire life married to his high school sweetheart, recently celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary.

     Following graduation from Bristol High School, Jay attended Mitchell Vo-Tech where he received a certification to be a journeyman electrician.  Jay loved his profession for many years and was a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.  Jay and Charla lived in Mitchell while Jay finished his education. They also lived in Ipswich and Pierre, with their three children and Jay worked as an electrician. In 1981, they moved to Aberdeen, where Jay continued to work as an electrician. He worked for Northwestern Energy for 24 years until his retirement.   

     Jay will be remembered for his sense of humor, ability to make people laugh, and his intense love and dedication to his wife and family.  Jay took great pride in the accomplishments of his children and grandchildren. Starting with his children, and more recently his grandchildren, Jay loved anything they were involved in including sports, music, dance, and academics.  He attended countless events celebrating their achievements throughout his life.

     Following his retirement, Jay worked at Lee Park Golf Course mowing. Jay loved mowing and took great pride in his pristine lawn, including his backyard pond. At Christmas, Jay lit up the neighborhood with his epic Christmas light decorations. He was often referred to as an expert in “outdoor illumination,” a reference to his favorite movie, Christmas Vacation. On the Fourth of July, Jay loved to light up the sky with fireworks and he could be heard saying, “that was a good one,” with a thumbs up and smile on his face.

     Jay was an avid Chicago Bears, Minnesota Twins, and Northern State University Wolves fan. He loved grilling, especially ribs and steak. Jay enjoyed traveling and was a sucker for tourist attractions. He had a zest for knowledge and liked learning about history. Jay learned woodworking from his father-in-law, B.L. Saylor. He made trophy cases, picture frames, cabinets, and memory boxes for his family. He also did all the woodwork (and many other projects) in the house he and his wife built in 2006.

     Throughout his life, Jay hunted pheasants and ducks, usually at his wife’s family farm in Lily, SD. He loved the comradery of family and friends that shared in his passion for hunting. Jay found solace and peace at “the farm” in Lily where he developed a deep connection with his wife’s parents and his “brother”, Craig Saylor.

     Jay had a great love for dogs. He mourned the loss of many dogs throughout his life. Most recently, he shared a connection with “Nelly” who slept with him and never left his side while he was sick.

     Jay will be remembered as an early riser. He enjoyed going to coffee with his friends to argue politics, talk about life, share stories, and laugh. Jay was fortunate to have many lifelong friends to share in life’s journey.

     Blessed to have shared in Jay’s life is his wife, Charla; his children:  Michael (Dawn) Imrie, Holly Imrie, and Travis Imrie; his grandchildren:  Abram Imrie, Brooklyn Imrie, Braxton Imrie, Brenna Imrie, and Taylor (Katie) Hyronimus; and his siblings:  Kay (Jerry) Lefler, Robert Imrie, and Joan Berg.

     Jay was preceded in death by his parents, William and Theresa (Geier) Imrie; and his wife’s parents, B.L. and Constance (Barber) Saylor.

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