Jay Raully Mitcham

With his loving family by his side, beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather Jay Raulley Mitcham passed away Oct. 18, 2020. Jay was born in Hines, OR, Dec. 31, 1930, to Robert and Lena Mitcham. The Mitcham family moved to Battle Ground, WA, when Jay was a young boy. Jay loved to share stories of his childhood in Clark County. His was truly the country boy’s life; getting up early to milk the cows _ the gallon milk jar on the counter with the cream settling on the top, fishing in the Lewis River, pheasant hunting and just plain exploring. Jay graduated from Battle Ground High School in 1949, where he was a member of the baseball and basketball teams. Jay was also quite the singer; he sang “The Road to Mandalay” at his high school graduation. After high school, Jay joined the Air Force from 1951-1954. During his time in the military, he spent some time in Guam. Jay played baseball for one of the Air Force baseball teams where they competed in many tournaments. Jay’s baseball talent landed him an opportunity to play on the St. Louis Cardinals’ farm team. He would have made it to the pros if an injury had not dashed that dream for him. While on military leave, Jay returned home, and started dating Joyce Keksi, who was the love of his life. Jay and Joyce married in Houston, TX, in 1954 and enjoyed 63 years together. Joyce passed away in 2017. Jay retired from ALCOA Aluminum. He started at ALCOA sweeping floors, working his way up to maintenance superintendent for the entire plant. After retirement, Jay and Joyce spent their time travelling around our great country. They also enjoyed spending time in the Hawaiian islands. Jay was an avid outdoorsman, gardener and patriot. He worked hard all of his life to provide a comfortable, secure life for his family. He “set the bar” for his children and grandchildren. Jay was his children and grandchildren’s moral compass. They admired and learned about hard work and self-determination from Jay. Knowing the strong individuals that his children and grandchildren are today is a testament to the great man that Jay was. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Joyce. Jay is survived by his daughter, Julie (Viramontes) and husband, Joe; son, Brian and his wife, Stacey; and son, David. Jay and Joyce were the proud grandparents of Lisa, Ben, Savannah, Haley and Randy. There are numerous great-grandchildren to carry on the legacy of this wonderful man and his wife. Our beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather will be greatly missed, but it is reassuring to know that he and his beloved wife are now together forever. A Memorial will be scheduled at a later date.