In Celebration of the Life of
Lucille Jay Hess
(1919-2020)

Obituary written by Lucille Jay Hess
Photo by Richard L. Hess

Lucille Jay Hess, writer, editor, and former journalist, known professionally as Jay Harris, died on Friday, April 10, 2020, at the Willow Valley Community, Lancaster, PA, aged 100. She was the widow of Richard Farmer Hess and since 1993 lived at 635 Willow Valley Square, Lancaster.

A Barnard College graduate majoring in chemistry, she served in many alumnae association leadership posts. In Pound Ridge, NY, her home for many years, Jay Harris served on numerous boards and commissions of the town and the Pound Ridge Community Church, where she was a member for over 50 years and volunteered at area hospitals.

With her children grown she became the Pound Ridge correspondent for two Connecticut newspapers, the Stamford Advocate (1960-76) and the New Canaan Advertiser (1965-79). She authored God’s Country, a History of Pound Ridge, New York (1971) and two supplements to the work. For a 1984 church publication, she edited and compiled their historical records from 1833-1983 and received awards from both the church and town for her neighborhood service.

Following the death of her first husband, Carl Harris, she married Richard Farmer Hess. Jointly they operated a marketing research firm in Pound Ridge and later in Somers, NY.

Jay Harris was a volunteer associate editor of three Sons of the Revolution (New York and the General Society) publications on American history and a publications committee member. Among her awards was the Jay Harris Award (2000), created in recognition of “her significant contributions to the better understanding of our heritage.”

An amateur sculptor showing in juried shows, Jay Harris enjoyed gardening, cooking and solving challenging crossword puzzles. At the time of her death, she was a lifetime consultant to historical and ancestry societies in Pound Ridge, in Connecticut and in Lancaster County, as well as honorary associate editor for life of General Society Sons of the Revolution publications.

Born in New York City, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Clara Piccard Pfifferling and grew up on Long Island, NY. Survivors include two daughters, Carolyn Jay Harris (Arthur Henderson, companion), Redmond, WA, and Marilee Scott Twine (Jeffrey, husband), New York City; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; a stepson, Richard Lowell Hess (Mary Elizabeth, wife), Aurora, Ontario, Canada, and two step-grandchildren.