Jay Howard Hurdle, beloved husband, friend, and community member, passed away unexpectedly in the early hours of January 3, 2024. As in life, Jay’s wife Cate held his hand as he drew his last breath.
Jay was born on November 24, 1980, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and grew up in the greater Memphis area. He was salutatorian of Briarcrest Christian School’s 1999 graduating class, having served as vice-president of the student body and president of the French Club. Jay attended Duke University and graduated with a B.S. in Economics in 2003. He continued on to earn his J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2008. He began his law career at Zata|3 Consulting and soon established Hurdle Law Firm in Starkville, Mississippi, where he continued to practice law until his death. Jay also served Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties as a part-time public defender, a job about which he was fiercely passionate.
Those who worked with Jay say he brought unparalleled dedication to his work as a public defender and private-practice attorney, and he lived out his commitment to constitutional rights every day. Jay was a man of strong convictions and was unwilling to compromise on what he held to be right and ethical. He was resolute that the integrity of the legal system relied on equal access to representation, and he was unafraid to speak out when confronted with injustice. While he held the people and systems around him to high standards, Jay had a unique ability to build bridges among divided communities, and his clients have described him as someone who was willing to help everyone, regardless of social status.
As a member of the Starkville community, Jay played an active role in numerous organizations, including Starkville Young Professionals, Starkville Community Theatre, Volunteer Starkville, Oktibbeha Young Lawyers, and the Oktibbeha County Bar Association. Jay also formed the Oktibbeha County Voter Education Initiative in 2015 and served as Executive Director. Jay was an eloquent and effective communicator, creating and publishing several informative articles and media pieces regarding history, law, and politics in Mississippi. His fascination with history and politics was lifelong, Jay being perhaps the only child in history to have had presidential election- and Tennessee bicentennial-themed birthday parties.
Jay’s tireless efforts to serve the Starkville area did not go unnoticed. Jay earned many community accolades, most notably the NAACP Community Achievement Freedom Award (2016), Modern Woodman’s Hometown Hero Award (2018), one of Progress Magazine’s “3 Inspired People” (spring 2018), and runner-up as Starkville’s “Man of the Year”.
Jay brought the same level of loyalty and dedication to his personal relationships as he did his professional ones. He married Cate Van Halsema on April 20, 2019, and was wholly committed to their life together. Jay was her ‘person’ and completed her heart. He loved her unconditionally, encouraged her professional and community endeavors, and worked to provide the best life possible for their family. At times their love spanned states and even the Atlantic Ocean, which only made their connection grow stronger. Cate, originally from Michigan, often quipped that it took an especially extraordinary person to make her put up with Mississippi in July. Even though their time together was cut far too short, they built a beautiful life.
Jay’s outwardly stoic demeanor belied what all his friends knew to be true: that he was deeply caring, thoughtful, and generous. His friends describe him as witty, sarcastic, and always ready with a joke, but also someone who could engage with almost anyone and listen to their interests with sincerity. He enriched everything and everyone he encountered.
In addition to his professional interests, Jay always seemed to be taking on a new project. He was a creative and handy person and loved making thoughtful gifts for many of his friends and family. Jay built personalized furniture for his friends’ children, created complex costumes with motorized wings, and even designed and sewed a dress for his wife. One of his longest running, but sadly unfinished, projects was restoring a 1994 Jeep Wrangler, his wife’s childhood dream car.
Jay is preceded in death by his grandparents Nell & Joe Clayton and Peggy & Bruce Hurdle; and father-in-law Mark Van Halsema. Jay is survived by his loving wife, Cate, and their sweet dog, Roman; parents Anita & Jack Hurdle; mother-in-law Helen Sterk; siblings Joel (Kitty), Heather (Dylan), Holly (Alex), Hunter (Morgan), and Gerard (Rita) and their families; as well as countless friends and colleagues.
In lieu of flowers, please join in continuing Jay’s legacy by supporting the Mississippi Bail Fund Collective (https://www.peoplesadvocacyinstitute.com/mbfc) or Starkville Strong (https://starkvillestrong.org).
A celebration of Jay’s life will be held on Saturday, January 13, 2024, from 5:30 – 8:30 PM at Upstairs at Tyler in downtown Starkville. All who knew and loved Jay are welcome to attend and participate.
You can leave the family a condolence at: www.welchfuneralhomes.com.
