Jay Schmallen
February 2, 1952 ~ January 3, 2022
Jay's Live Streamed Funeral Mass can be viewed below:
https://vimeo.com/event/1716791
Jay Herbert Schmallen, 69, passed away January 3, 2022 at Bethany Retirement Home, Fargo.
Jay was born February 2, 1952, to Herbert and Eileen (Densmore) Schmallen. His mother died when he was still in elementary school. He was raised by his father and many others who looked out for him as a child, including his cousins the O’Connors, close neighbors such as the Greenleys, and a housekeeper, Eva Moore, who he thought the world of. He would go on to graduate from Shanley High School class of 1970.
Jay later went into the business with his father at Structural Products in Fargo. After his father retired, he sold the business and became a stockbroker at Piper, Jaffray, and Hopwood. He later went on to start his own financial business, The Schmallen Financial Group, in Fargo.
In his early years, Jay spent his summers on Pelican Lake where he developed an interest in sailing and sailboat racing. Sailing is what brought him, his wife Margaret, and their son Brock to Leech Lake and the Walker, Minnesota area; where he loved to be all year round. He would often say he enjoyed going up North as much in the winter as he did in the summer.
Jay was an active member of St. Anthony of Padua, Catholic Church, Fargo, ND.
Jay is survived by his son, Brock Schmallen, Fargo, ND; sister, Susan (Joseph) Majors, Wadena, MN; and brother, Donald (Kay) McNulty, Moorhead, MN.
Jay was preceded in death by his mother, Eileen Schmallen; father, Herbert Schmallen and stepmother, Jane Schmallen.
Mass of Christian burial will take place 11 am at St. Anthony of Padua, Catholic Church in Fargo with a visitation one hour prior on Tuesday, January 11th, 2022. Burial will take place at Holy Cross North.
Arrangements entrusted to the care of Boulger Funeral Home and Celebration of Life Center in Fargo. Online guestbook and livestream can be viewed on the funeral home website.
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I first met Jay when he and I were members of a Toastmasters club in Fargo. He was engaging, educational and so interesting to listen to. I was drawn to him as a man of substance, strong in his faith, and of great character. Jay has certainly made the world a better place and leaves a legacy he probably isn’t even aware of. He has sown seeds everywhere he went, a ripple effect that will last for the ages. Goodbye dear Jay.
I was so saddened to hear of Jay’s passing. I have such fond memories of him from our days as students at Holy Spirit & Shanley. Because we lived on the same block in north Fargo, we often found ourselves walking home from school together. I recall as a young girl, how heartbroken I felt for him when his Mother passed away.
Then later in life, when Jay joined the Piper, Jaffray & Hopwood family in Fargo, (my husband, Brian, was also a PJ&H broker) I remember the many fun times had with that group. The Fargo Piper office worked very hard, but they also played very hard.
But I think my fondest memories of Jay, Margaret & Brock are from the wonderful weekends spent in Cochran’s Marina on Leech Lake. For many Summer seasons the Marina community would spend lazy days boating & sailing, rafting together lounging on the sparking water, & then carrying the party onto the docks & boat slips in the Marina. Barbecuing, laughing, eating & drinking, & singing karaoke into the wee moonlit hours of the night!
Rest In Peace, dear Jay!
Jay and I worked at Piper together, he was ahead of his time in our business.
We sailed his boat on Leech Lake. When started out on his own, we lost touch, but reconnected several years later at Rotary. We will miss Jay
I met Jay in the fall of 1971 at Mary College – an instant friendship developed during which he and I went to his home in Fargo, meeting his Dad and having fun for a couple of weekends – also out at the lake cabin. Jay ventured to western North Dakota where I was from and met my mother and my friends. Quite a guy. We had a great time albeit short. Seems that he only did the one semester at Mary and I only a year before heading out to other things. We did manage to converse a few times since those days, but, as time happens along, we didn’t keep up these conversations regularly and not nearly enough. Always good memories of times gone by. God bless and rest in peace.