Richard J. Fay, formerly of Spring Lake, passed away Sunday, October 26, 2014, in Arlington, Virginia, surrounded by the overwhelming love of his family. He was 85.
He was born in River Edge, NJ, to Edward F. and Kathryn M. Fay. He resided there and in Bergenfield, NJ, until 1937, when he moved to Belmar, NJ.
He graduated St. Rose High School in 1947, Holy Cross College in 1951, and George Washington University Law School in 1954. After law school he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Matthew F. McGuire of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He was admitted to the U.S. District Court, DC, in 1955, and the New Jersey Bar in 1956.
He was married to Bette J. Fay on September 12, 1953.
He practiced law in Belmar from 1955 to 1988 and then in Spring Lake from 1988-2000, then in Wall.
He was a member and past chairman of the N.J. Supreme Court’s Ethics Committee for Monmouth County; member and past chairman of the Supreme Court’s Fee Arbitration Committee for Monmouth County; a long-term member of the Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics; long-term member of the N.J. Bar Association Real Property and Probate Section; long-term member and past president of the Monmouth Bar Association; recipient of the Monmouth Bar Association’s Award for Professionalism in 2003; member and past president of the Belmar Kiwanis Club; and past member of the Spring Lake School Board of Education.
He was a long-time resident of Spring Lake, and communicant of St. Catharine Parish.
He was predeceased by his wife Bette in 2005, his son, Dennis Fay in 2011 and his sister Patricia Fay in 2005. He leaves behind to cherish his memory seven children: two sons, Timothy Fay of Alexandria, VA, and Richard B. Fay and his wife, Monica, of San Diego, California; five daughters, Clarissa Van Dongen of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, Jeannine Fay Mood and her husband Tom of Alexandria, VA, Diane Sanders and her husband Michael of West Palm Beach FL, Bridget Griffith and her husband Matthew of Glenmoore, PA, and Jennifer Beauregard and her husband Peter of Attleboro, MA.: his daughter-in-law Ruth Fay of Del Mar, CA, his sister Elizabeth Murphy of North Arlington, NJ and his nieces.
He also leaves 10 grandchildren: Daniel Van Dongen, Monica Riegert, Gregory Harvilla, Sheila Mood, Sara Fay, Patrick Fay, Kathryn Fay, Meghan Fay, Kathryn Griffith and Jeffrey Griffith.
Visitation will be Friday, October 31, from 2 – 4 and 7 – 9 PM, at the O’Brien Funeral Home, 2028 Route 35, Wall, NJ. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, November 1, at 10:30 AM at St. Catharine’s Catholic Church, 215 Essex Avenue, Spring Lake. Interment will follow in St. Catharine Cemetery, Wall. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice in his memory.

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