Dr. Jay I. Rozen, 86, of Mission Hills, Kansas, died on May 10, surrounded by family, including the love of his life, Sandra Kay Rozen.
Funeral services were held on May 14 at Louis Memorial Chapel, followed by burial at Rose Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family would suggest donations to Doctors Without Borders.
Jay was born on Dec. 9, 1937, to Delphine and Harry Rozen, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was a beloved son and the big brother to his younger sister, Ann, who he nicknamed ‘Snippy.’ Intelligent, cultured and kind, Jay studied hard, enjoyed his mother Delphine’s gourmet cooking and worked summer breaks at his father Harry’s scrap metal yard before going to college and then medical school at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
There, he met Sandra Kay of Clayton, Missouri, at a fraternity party, when Jay was a first year medical student and Sandi was a freshman at Sophie Newcomb. Jay said that, of meeting Sandra for the first time, he thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. They were married in St. Louis, Missouri, on Feb. 14, 1965.
After they were married, Sandi taught elementary school in the Philadelphia area while Jay did his radiology residency at the University of Pennsylvania. Jay served in the National Guard, training at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
They moved to Kansas City in 1968, where Jay became a radiologist at Research Medical Center. Daughters, Laura and Natalie, were born.
Jay practiced radiology at Research Medical Center for forty years. He was an active member of Congregation Beth Shalom and served as president of the Beth Shalom Men’s Club, among many other interests including Havorah; the ROMEOs lunch discussion club; welcoming international officers studying at the military school at Fort Leavenworth; and a program he loved for civilians to learn about the FBI.
He was a devoted, loving husband, father and grandfather; a deeply dedicated doctor and mentor; and a proud member of the Jewish community. He was a genuine, quiet intellectual who loved to read about history; watch political affairs shows; travel to Israel, Canada and Europe; and visit with relatives and for his grandchildren’s special events.
Survivors include Sandra Rozen; daughters Laura Rozen and her husband Mike Evans, and Natalie Rosenberg and her husband Dr. Steve Rosenberg; grandchildren Rachel, Meredith and Jordan Rosenberg, as well as Rachel’s fiancé, Quang Nguyen; Zoe and Abby Evans; sister, Ann ‘Snippy’ Kobey; nieces, Jaimie and Faryl Kander; sister-in-law Eleanor ‘Snooky’ Blakemore; Jill and Dave Belsky; cousins Judy and Don Horwitz; Cissy Trachtenberg; Joann and Marty Jacobson; Wayne and Joey Spritz; and all their children and grandchildren.
The family would like to express gratitude for the care Jay received from the staff at Village Shalom: Paula Moore, Muncie Matthews, Dr. Donald Cohen and the nurses and staff at Menorah Medical Center, among many others.
The night he died, people around the world reported seeing the Northern Lights, a cosmic phenomenon that, like all of space, fascinated him. The family would like to think that he was also enjoying the magnificent light in the sky and that it brought him joy and a sense of wonder.
His wife, Sandi, expressed gratitude that she got to share 59 years of married life with her best friend.
Online condolences may be left for the family at louismemorialchapel.com.
