Johnson R. Waite - Obituary

eloved son, brother, uncle, and the unofficial “Mayor of Annapolis”, Johnson “Jay” R. Waite, Jr. was called home on October 16, 2021, at the age of 39, after a courageous battle with cancer, surrounded by loved ones who will continue to honor his legacy. Born to Johnson and Mary Jo, Jay began leaving his indelible mark on the world on April 20, 1982. He completed the family as the only son and would forever retain the title of “little JR”, no matter how much bigger and taller he grew than everyone else. His stature was large to accommodate his enormous heart and the love he had for everyone he met. A friend to all, Jay would often be found chatting up someone everywhere he went. He took great joy in discussing absolutely anything with anybody, remembering specifics of their life down to the smallest detail, especially if the conversation was about Back to the Future, the Titanic or Baltimore sports. The Orioles indeed lost their biggest fan (and sometimes harshest critic) and his trivia teams lost the greatest sports historian, for no mind but Jay’s could tell you what the score of a game was from a decade ago. A graduate of the University of Maryland, University College, Jay went on to fill many roles, but enjoyed his time working at Tessemae’s the most – he loved the banter and camaraderie with co-workers that filled his day with joy. Jay delighted in his family, especially in his role as uncle – both officially and unofficially. He loved sailing and going to ball games with his family. He enjoyed playing the drums and was most recently learning to play the guitar. Chuckling while discussing quirky TV plot ideas, alternative outcomes to baseball games, and what he’d do if he was the manager were among his other favorite pastimes. One of Jay’s biggest passions was airplanes and, from an early age, he aspired to be a pilot. He may never have helmed a plane, but he flew as often as he could – and checked a bag, every time. Two of his favorite destinations were Germany, as part of a student exchange program and the Field of Dreams – where he got to walk out of the corn and live his dream to get “a taste of the majors.” Perhaps his greatest love, aside from his family, was for his cars, most especially, his prized DeLorean. His stated goal from the age of 5 was to one day have his own. After he became sick, his parents were determined to make that dream come true. He loved taking it for a ride around town and returning home and talking about all the people that stared and waved. Jay dreamed of beating cancer and driving his DeLorean into Camden Yards in celebration. He may not have been able to do that in the physical sense, but that’s okay because “where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” Ultimately, it was Jay’s love for Jesus and the joy of his Catholic faith that carried him through his courageous battle, taking him straight into the loving arms of Jesus. Jay is survived by his parents; sisters, Kim Niggel (Tim), Stephanie Waite (Michael Heitmann), and Tricia Cauley (Bill); nieces and nephews, Courtney, Tyler, Liam, Noelle, Henry, Oliver, and Sam; and numerous loving aunts, uncles, and cousins. Friends are invited to celebrate Jay’s life with his family on Friday, October 22 from 1 to 3 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory, 2973 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater, MD. Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Saturday, October 23 at St. Mary’s Church, 109 Duke of Gloucester Street, Annapolis, MD. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jay’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Online condolences may be offered using the Memory Wall link above.