Jay D. Sandler

Jay D. Sandler succumbed to AML (leukemia) on February 18, 2024 in the comfort of his home, with his wife Lisa, his kitty by his side, several of his wonderful and loving caregivers from Emerald Helpers Caregiving, and the wonderful nursing staff of Caring Hospice. He had just turned 70.

Born in Philadelphia on January 30, 1954, he lived at various times in Michigan and Lenox, Massachusetts. After getting married, he and Lisa moved to Pipersville, PA. He was married to Lisa (Matkoff) Sandler 48 years.

Brother to Abigail Sandler, Allen Sandler, and Leslie Sandler; predeceased by younger sister Aimee Sandler. Also predeceased by daughter Rose Sandler.

Jay graduated from Windsor Mountain School in Lenox, Massachusetts, and Temple University with a B.A. in English.

He started working at a young age delivering newspapers early in the morning before school, and worked his entire life through high school and college. He pumped gas at his Uncle Marvin’s gas station, and when Marvin transitioned to a crane rental company, “Markim,” Jay worked with Earl the mechanic. Over time he learned how to operate cranes and other heavy equipment, and became a member of the Operating Engineers Union Local 825 of New Jersey. 

After a few years with Markim, Jay decided to start his own business and bought one of Marvin’s old cranes. He and Lisa built up a small “Mom and Pop” crane business, “Compass Rose Crane Rentals” along the way purchasing two new Grove Hydraulic cranes, a 35 ton and a 40 ton, and a forklift. He had loyal customers who knew he could be relied on to be early at the job and do safe work in a very professional manner. He was often consulted for rigging advice and other particulars of jobs. He worked for general contractors and every trade including iron workers, glass installers, and HVAC companies. He worked at just about every pharmaceutical company and major hospital in New Jersey. Jay put up thousands of roof trusses and put together barns for Timber Framers. But he also did many other kinds of specialized lifts, including work on the spire of the Landmark Building in Doylestown, and putting a bathtub through a second story window, also in Doylestown. In 40 years of running cranes, he never had an accident, instilling in those around him total confidence in his expertise and work safety ethic. When a homeowner would call him to help cut down a tree, Jay would tell them that he would only work with professional tree companies because it was very dangerous and people have been maimed and killed by trying to cut down a tree themselves.

After 27 years, he sold the cranes, closed up shop, and went to work out of the Union Hall for a few years, being sent to various jobs to run their equipment. After officially retiring, Jay tried several volunteer jobs, ending up in 2017 at Bucks County Neshaminy Manor Nursing Home, and it became his second home. They loved him and he loved everyone there, residents and staff. He was voted Neshaminy’s Volunteer of the Year. Lisa joined him as a volunteer, and they were both there the last day before COVID closed down for anyone coming in except staff. Jay was there the first day they reopened. Neshaminy was the highlight of his life. Neshaminy brought out the best in Jay and helped him realize his full emotional potential and overcome a lifetime continually marred by sad and tragic events, serious obstacles and major setbacks. 

 He also became involved with The Farmette, a donkey rescue in Pipersville, helping build stalls and put in fencing. Visiting with the donkeys once a month was always a special event.

Jay was a woodworker and made both decorative and practical items, many of them quirky. He darned his Arctic-weight Red Wing socks, and made darning knobs for friends who sewed. He loved boating, fishing, scuba diving, and foraging for mushrooms with Lisa. He loved all kinds of music especially folk and blues, and was very knowledgeable. He could whistle entire songs; once he whistled The Teddy Bear’s Picnic for daughter Rose’s cell phone greeting. He was a voracious reader and had a quirky sense of humor and outlook on life that included humorous self-deprecation. He had T-shirts made up with funny and serious messages printed on them and loved sharing them with people. He quoted anyone from Chaucer to Popeye. If you asked Jay a choice of two things, he would say “Yes.”

Jay wasn’t religious but was strongly Jewish in the ethnic sense and called himself a Culinary Jew; he made the best potato latkes according to all friends and family, and liked matzoh ball soup. He liked to go grocery shopping and was an innovative cook.

 Jay received world-class medical care at Penn Medicine, with a superb Oncology Team that took the best care of him, along with every hospital staff member, while he was hospitalized for most of the last year. His family couldn’t be more grateful for their expertise and care. Lisa was able to stay with him in the room at the Pavilion throughout his stay there. We also had loving and wonderful family and friends who did so much; and family who traveled great distances to be with Jay and Lisa. 

Jay and Lisa could not have functioned without the extraordinary help provided by their dear friend Meredith, who Jay said was his “gardener and spiritual advisor.” And so much more! Expressions of thanks for her loving help are beyond words. 

After daughter Rose’s burial at Green Meadows Natural Burial Cemetery (part of the historic Fountain Hill Cemetery), he and Lisa decided to get plots there, too. Starting in June, the meadow blooms with endless varieties of flowers and grasses, mostly natives.

Donations may be made to the following, or any place of the donor’s choice:

Bucks County Neshaminy Manor Nursing Home, Attn: Activities Department, 1660 S. Easton Road, Warrington, PA 18976

The Farmette, 5878 Stump Road, Pipersville, PA 18947 a 501(c)(3) non-profit that rescues donkeys and some horses from slaughter.

The American Littoral Society (Coastal Conservation), 18 Hartshorne Drive, #1, Highlands, NJ 07732 (a 501(c)(3) non-profit