REMEMBERING JAY R. MAGAZINE

This year marks the 20-year anniversary of the September 11^th attacks, a day that changed our nation forever.  It represents a day that our hospitality industry came together in an unprecedented spirit of community and commitment for at least two dozen meetings-industry professionals were employed by companies or associations with offices in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.

But, 9/11 is a day of Remembrance of the lives lost 20 years ago and Jay R. Magazine, an MPIGNY member and catering sales manager with the Windows on The World lost his life on that fateful day.  Jay was in the restaurant at the top of 1 World Trade Center, overseeing a breakfast for 500 guests when the first tower was attacked.

My last memory of Jay was our riding a bus together to go to an event at the 2001 WEC held in Las Vegas, NV.  We laughed and talked about WEC activities that we had attended thus far and made plans to get together for either lunch or dinner after the summer had ended.   Because of 9/11, that get together never took place. 

But, let me also take this time to share fond memories of Jay from other members of the hospitality industry.

The following are excerpts from the October 1^st, 2001 Meeting News article, and from Jay’s memorial service on September 21, 2001.

"Jay was one of the best industry colleagues I did business with," said Michael Hudson, president of MPI of Greater New York and head of Site Search & Select. "He handled our chapter's annual wine-tasting dinner at Windows on The World last February, and it was a huge success, largely because of Jay and his support and dedication to the organization."

“There were many faces of Jay Magazine.  There was family Jay: his most important role.  Jay loved to tell of his beautiful kids, Melissa and Andrew, and of course his fantastic wife Susan.  There was business Jay, who was so proud of his work and where he worked.  Jay traveled the country for Windows of the World through the MPI organization, and proudly set up our booth with Wendy Nash”, said Greg Hein, Jay’s dear friend and Windows on the World colleague.

On November 13, 2001, the Board of Directors of MPIGNY approved a motion to create a Jay Magazine Memorial Fund (JMMF).  A portion of the fund was designated to underwrite the registration fees for our chapter members to attend MPIGNY events (both education and social).  This would be for members that can show hardship caused by loss of job or other circumstances.  Over the past twenty years the mission of the Jay Magazine Fund has evolved with the many changes within the meetings and hospitality industry, but it still serves as a living memorial for Jay in providing ongoing assistance to chapter members.

With the unveiling of the official 9/11 Memorial monument in 2011, millions of people have visited or will one day visit the two pools placed in the footprints of the original Twin Towers.  These pools will be surrounded by bronze plaques inscribed with the names of those who died on 9/11 and during the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center. (Editor’s note: since written in 2011, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum project was completed and is now open to the public).

I do plan to visit the 9/11 Memorial and will search those plaques for the one name that I hope members of the Greater New York Chapter will not forget.  The name of Jay Magazine, a beloved and respected chapter member of MPIGNY.