Jay Lepreau - Gone Camping

Jay Lepreau, loving father, husband, brother and friend finished his last race Monday morning.  A brilliant computer scientist, avid outdoorsman, champion procrastinator and fanatic bicycle racer, he got caught on his long uphill race against multiple myeloma.  He knew the odds were against a cure, but he and the excellent medical staff at the University of Utah and the Huntsman Cancer Institute fought bravely with everything they had. The family greatly appreciates their efforts.

Jay was born to Dr. Frank J. Lepreau Jr. and Miriam Barwood on Mach 27, 1952.  He grew up in Massachusetts and at the Hospital Albert Schweitzer in central Haiti, where he helped his father treat the impoverished population there.  While there in 1971, he met Caroline Kueneman with whom he established a life-long friendship and 12 years ago married and loved dearly.

Computer science was more than a job for Jay. He was passionate about operating systems. He was a world class and highly published researcher in the areas of network devices and testbeds and other arcane things that baffled the rest of us. We pretty much thought he was up all night reinventing the Internet.

He was passionate and competitive about most things he got involved with. He first saw the redrock country of Southern Utah and loved it enough to move here to work with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance to protect it. A lifelong Quaker and Democrat, he supported causes and candidates that fought poverty, war and injustice.

Jay leaves behind daughter Renee and son Frank  from his previous marriage to Linda Stengel, spouse Caroline, step children Erica and Jordan Kueneman, father Frank Jr., sisters Lucy Ann Lepreau, Judy Keller, Mimi Jose (David) and his friends and his colleagues at the Flux Research Group at the University of Utah.

He is preceded in death by his mother Miriam, sister, Susan O'Neill and former wife Linda.

We could say a lot of things about Jay, but we couldn't ever say when he might actually arrive at any particular event.  More than one of us said, "Jay will probably be late for his own funeral," We hope you won't be late, though. Join us at the Quaker Meeting House at 171 East, 4800 South in Murray, Saturday September 20 at 10:30 AM for Greeting, 11:00 for Memorial Celebration of Jay's life, and 12:00 NOON for refreshments.

Bring your stories and your love to share.

In lieu of flowers, Jay would appreciate donations to the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.