Jay Thomas ’66 addresses Blue Jays at a Morning Assembly. Thomas is an Emmy Award-winning actor and the host of The Jay Thomas Show on Sirius Satellite Radio.

Actor Jay Thomas of the Class of 1966 passed away Thursday, August 24, 2017. Thomas died at 69 years old after a long battle with cancer.

“Jay was one of a kind, never at a loss for words and filled with so much fun,” said his agent and longtime friend Don Buchwald.

Thomas was an Emmy Award-winning comedic actor who grew up in New Orleans and landed roles in TV hits Cheers and Murphy Brown, and other television shows and films.

Assembly Introduction: “Thomas was a 1966 classmate of Fr. Anthony McGinn, S.J., and Mr. Malcolm Villarrubia. After trying football here, he made his mark as a member of the Phils and a participant in the then-popular Talent Show. After Jesuit, he entered the entertainment field, mainly as a radio DJ. He made his way into acting and became a cast member…on Mork and Mindy, on Cheers …and on Murphy Brown for which he won two Emmys. His movie credits include a role in Mr. Holland’s Opus as the head football coach, a role he modeled after former Jesuit head coach Ken Tarzetti. He is now..hosting his own daily show on Sirius Radio. You can catch him each Christmas Eve competing with David Letterman to knock the holiday meatball off the Christmas tree on the Letterman Show. Please welcome a great Blue Jay from the class of 1966, Jay Thomas.”

Though he was born in Kermit, Texas, he grew up in the Bayou St. John neighborhood. A graduate of Jesuit, his acting career had its early roots in the city.

Fun facts about Jay can be found in the guest speaker introduction from October of 2008 (right caption) or in the article from the New Orleans Advocate below.

Jesuit prays for the family, friends, and Blue Jay classmates of Jay Thomas ’66. May his soul rest in peace.

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The Advocate | Actor Jay Thomas, Jesuit High School graduate, dies at 69