Jay John Duhamel, "Jaybird", 54, loving husband and father, died at Vassar Brothers Hospital on March 6th after a sudden illness.

Jay was born on November 3, 1966 in Cold Spring, NY to John "Jack" and June (Legere) Duhamel. He received his Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Marist College and for the past 33 years made a career in the construction industry with the last six years spent as a Senior Account Manager of Gordian.

On August 26, 1995, Jay married Diana (Thurber) Duhamel. They made their home in Danbury CT where they raised two children, Riley and Conner.

Jay was devoted to his children and loved spending time with them, going on adventures especially biking, camping and hiking. He loved to travel and, to the angst of his family, could never pass a plaque without reading it. He had many friends; some human, some cats and dogs. Truly, his fondest memories were simply spending time with family and friends.

Like his father, Jack, he had a lifelong love affair with food. Neither man met a meal they didn't like. Both Jay and Jack shamelessly told bad jokes and pulled too many pranks and inevitably laughter followed.

Jay was known for his infectious smile, his crazy laugh and his kind and generous spirit. Jay's final act of generosity was to give the gift of life through organ and tissue donation.

Jay was preceded in death by his father, Jack. He is survived by his wife Diana, his two children, Riley and Conner, his mother June Duhamel, sister Darci Russo and her husband Tony, his sister Tania Hoffmann and her husband Norman and his sister Traci Gabriel and her husband John, his nine nieces and nephews and their spouses and partners and his great niece and great nephew.

Visitation will be held on Friday from 12 – 2 pm at the McHoul Funeral Home, Inc., 895 Route 82, Hopewell Junction. PLEASE NOTE: In compliance with NYS guidelines, social distancing and face masks will be required. Since capacity may be limited, all attendees should be prepared for potential extended waiting periods.

A private family service will follow beginning at 3pm on Friday. Please visit his Book of Memories at www.mchoulfuneralhome.com to view the service via livestream. A celebration of life ceremony is planned for the spring.

In lieu of flowers, donations for Riley and Conner's college expenses may be made to: http://gf.me/u/zmisfr.

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Email from Dan Cook, Vice President and General Manager, Gordian:

It is with an incredibly heavy heart that I write this email. Gordian suffered a terrible loss this weekend.

Jay Duhamel, our Senior Account Manager in Connecticut, passed away on Saturday night. Jay joined Gordian more than six years ago and played an important role in growing the Northeast region, first with Paul Schreyer and more recently with Soph Jang and John Agostinelli.

Please keep Jay's wife, Diana, and two kids, Conner and Riley in your thoughts. As we hear details on a memorial service or other ways we can help comfort the family, we will update you.

Be sure to take some extra time tonight to remind those close to you how much you love and appreciate them. Counseling is available through Fortive's Employee Assistance Program and can be accessed at Live and Work Well (access code: Fortive).

Funeral Service:
https://youtu.be/mK4YnqruErE