Julian "Jay" Paul Underwood, aged 55, of Elmsdale, Nova Scotia, died at his home on January 8, 2014.
Born at Royal Air Force Hospital, Changi, Singapore, April 16, 1958 he was the younger son of Peter and Joan (Joels) Underwood of New Glasgow. Jay was educated in Singapore, England and Canada, and graduated from East Pictou Rural High School with honours at the age of 17 in 1975.
He attended St. Francis Xavier University, and received his diploma in journalism from Holland College, Charlottetown, P.E.I., in 1979. He later received additional certificates in journalism from the University of Western Ontario (law) and Ryerson Polytechnic (design).
Jay began his career in journalism as night shift proof reader/obituary writer at the Thomson Newspapers Guardian‑Patriot in Charlottetown, before becoming a reporter/photographer with the New Glasgow, N.S. Evening News. He met his wife Kathy Patriquin when he was transferred to the Truro, N.S. Daily News in 1980. While in Truro, he served as information officer for 1st BN, The Nova Scotia Highlanders (North).
Jay and Kathy moved to Timmins, Ont., in 1982, where he was employed as city editor of the Daily Press. They later returned to Nova Scotia, where he became editor and publisher of the Springhill‑Parrsboro Record. The newspaper won several Atlantic Community Newspaper Association (ACNA) awards during his tenure. In 1987 Jay moved to Elmsdale to take control of the Enfield Weekly Press.
Jay was hired by the Halifax Daily News in 1990 as senior copy editor, and was one of the first to work on the Sunday edition of that newspaper. He was a member of the newspaper's editorial board and wrote many editorials and op-ed pieces. He was a member of the class action lawsuit by employees of Southam Newspapers to recover pensions and benefits owed to them.
Severely disabled by diabetes in 1992, Jay continued his writing by publishing 14 books on Nova Scotia railway history. He established Pennydreadful Publishing in 2010, and helped four other writers publish their work. He was a frequent contributor to the Canadian Railroad Historical Association's journal Canadian Rail, and served as president of the Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Society since 2003.
Jay was appointed as a member-at-large on the board of trustees of the Public Archives of Nova Scotia in 2011. He was a long-serving judge of the Colchester-East Hants Regional Library's Ada Mingo Teen Writing Awards, and acted as facilitator of the library's independent writers' round-table. Jay was a staunch supporter of the community value of the Elmsdale branch of the library.
Predeceased by his father in 2012, Jay is survived by his wife Kathy, sons Andrew (Nelia) in Comox, B.C., and Derek (Andrea) in Enfield; by his mother in New Glasgow; sisters, Jane (Vida), Gay's River; Sara (Craig) Stratford, P.E.I.; brother, Simon, Sylvester, N.S.; his nephew, Jeremy Livingston (Rebecca) and three nieces, Amy Dewtie (Jeff), Jessica Livingston-Thomas (Leighton) and Helen Livingston; his father‑in-law and mother‑in‑law, Charles and Beverly Patriquin; sister-in-law, Kelly Steeves (Roy), their sons, Johnathon and Justin, their grandson Jackson, and Kathy's grandmother, Florence Palmer Harnish of Wentworth N.S.
A celebration of Jay's life will be held at Ettinger Funeral Home, 2812 Highway 2, Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia on Saturday, January 18, 2014 at 2 p.m. Jay's body was cremated and his remains shall be interred at a later date in the Presbyterian Cemetery at Springville, Pictou County, his first home in Canada.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Society, the Canadian Diabetes Association or to a charity of your choice at any branch of the Bank of Montreal.
Condolences, words of comfort and remembrances of Jay may be shared with the family at www.ettingerfuneralhome.com

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