Jay L. Rambo, 74, of Marion died Monday, November 12, 2018 at Marion General Hospital.
Jay was born on September 24, 1944 in Marion, Ohio to L.A. and Francis Olive Rambo. He grew up around Marengo, Ohio, and moved to Illinois where he graduated from Edwardsville High School in 1962. He returned to Marion and married Beverly Corfman on May 10, 1963. They were married for fifty-four years before her death earlier this year. They had two sons, Kent and Troy.
From a very young age, Jay was passionate about cars. He was always building some kind of go-kart, scooter, engine, or automobile. In the sixties, he was a member of several car clubs in Edwardsville and Marion. He started his career working in automotive and tractor shops. For a while he was a test rider for Allsport motorcycles and ATVs. During his long career in the automotive profession, he worked at Smith Auto Body with his brother Ted, as the body shop manager at Inskeep Oldsmobile, and at his own automotive repair and gas station in Prospect, Ohio. For the last ten years of his career, he was an automotive detailing instructor at the Marion Correctional Facility. Wherever he worked, people came to him as an honest and extremely knowledgeable automotive expert. He was always eager to be part of the community of car enthusiasts, bringing his friendship to many over the years.
Outside of work, Jay also pursued his passion for cars and racing. He was an avid drag racer, building each of his bracket racing cars himself. In his dragster, he was proud of his fastest run at a top speed of 198 miles per hour, just missing his goal of being in “the 200 MPH club”. After racing, he was a drag racing promoter and announcer at Marion County International Raceway for many years. Away from the track, he always had a fleet of cars and vehicles of all types being repaired, customized, or ready for the next great trade. He spent a lot of time taking his sons to watch dirt track racing, and for several years to participate in BMX racing where he was a promoter and announcer at several tracks. He was a NASCAR fan, and enjoyed Sundays with his family watching the race. In retirement, he continued to pursue building hot rods, working on his tractors, and keeping a model train and toy shop at the Marion Flea Market.
He is preceded in death by his wife Beverly, father L.A. and mother Francis, his brothers Oscar and Ted, and his sisters Ilene and Betsy. He is survived by his son Kent, daughter-in-law Diane, and granddaughter Anna of Columbus, and his son Troy of Grandview. His family rejoices in the blessings of his life, and offers to all that knew him the words he used as an announcer to sign off at the end of a race, “May the Good Lord take a likin’ to ya.”
Calling hours will be 4pm to 7pm on Tuesday November 20th at Boyd-Born Funeral Home in Marion. A memorial service will be held at Epworth United Methodist Church in Marion on Wednesday, November 21st at 11:00 am. The family will gather at 1pm on Wednesday, November 21st for a private interment ceremony at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Sycamore.
Donations in celebration of Jay’s life can be made to Epworth United Methodist Church in Marion.
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