John "Jay" Joseph Cummings, JR.

John Joseph Cummings Jr., born April 27, 1960, Manhasset, NY, died January 3, 2026, Union City, GA, of natural causes.

John J. (Jay) Cummings, Jr. was born in 1960 in Manhasset Long Island. The son of John J. Cummings and Marjorie E. Cummings, he quickly made his way to Connecticut at the age of three— and never stopped being on the move.

Jay loved anything that went fast. First, it was racing his Big Wheel down Top O’ Hill Road in Darien, CT, then on to doing speedy circles around the driveway at Wildcat on his mini-bike. One of my fondest memories is of us on the lake at Walt Disney World, when they first opened in 1971. My then eleven-year-old brother at the helm of a small (but very fast) mini-boat, we rode together as he buzzed the lumbering paddle boat packed with tourists. The paddle boat captain and soaked passengers that absorbed the spray of his tight turns were not amused, likely contributing to the policy change of not giving young kids the keys without a parent on board. I can still vividly remember my brother's smile, his face nearly spit from the sheer joy of it all. The scolding was clearly worth it. As he grew, his love of speed only grew. He learned to race cars at Skip Barber, buying and restoring a British Royale 2000, and successfully racing on various tracks across New England and beyond.

Unlike anyone else in the family, Jay was blessed with athletic abilities. He showed such promise on the diving board from age eight onwards, that my parents got him a trampoline to practice twisting, flipping, and jumping. I spent many days happily bouncing on that trampoline with my brother in the backyard. He became such an accomplished one- and three-meter diver that he spent time under the tutelage of the US Olympic diving coach, practicing right alongside future Olympians. I will remember him flying high, the blue sky haloed around his head, poetry in motion.

He was poetry— always in motion— with a sense of humor to match. Our childhood fights were equally matched by hilarious bouts of laughter, including endlessly poking fun and joking at the TV show or movie we were watching. Heaven was Saturday morning, watching Daktari and Skippy the Bush Kangaroo on Channel 9 with my brother. As time marched on, we grew into fiercely close best friends, a bond that only deepened with passing time.

During his years in Connecticut, he was a very active member in his church, Kingdom Life. He volunteered there often, using his skills to help fix whatever needed fixing, and providing rides to church services for those in need.

A hard worker, he started out as a mechanic and ended up with his own truck driving business. Many kids dream of being a race car driver— he lived that rare dream. Similarly, many dream of starting their own business— he did it. Always the entrepreneur, he designed a number of gadgets, a few of which he turned into prototypes. He was always willing to lend a hand and rescued many a stranded driver or neighbor whose car was giving them trouble. He loved jazz music, all animals (many of whom he rescued in his yard or out on the road), a good steak, and his Atlanta Braves.

Jay was beloved and is survived by his sister Leslie and sister-in-law Susan Lugli of Maine, as well as his Italian American side of the family: Brother-in-law Wally, and his children Casey (and husband Luke), Kara, and Eric; Darlene and Mark, and their children Samantha and Bryan; and Doreen and Tommy, and their sons Jason and Matthew. Jay also loved his adopted state of Georgia and his Union City neighbors fiercely. Neighbors Eric (and his extended family), Pam & James, and Eugenia & Ousman were the nicest, most thoughtful and caring neighbors anyone could hope for; may they be eternally blessed. Jay cared for them deeply and appreciated them greatly. I share the same sentiments, and am forever grateful for their love and support of Jay and me, especially upon his passing.

Jay was a devout and faithful Christian, who having shed his “earth suit”, is currently residing in eternal peace and joy with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with whom he shared a love of all beings, great and small.

A celebration of life will be held in the spring in Maine.