Jay Anthony Precourt OBITUARY
Jay Precourt, a dear father, grandfather, spouse and friend, was born under a lucky star. Great things happened to him from the moment he was born. Jay came into this world on July 12, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois, as the only child of loving and doting parents Joe and Mimi Precourt. He spent his early childhood on the shores of Lake Michigan in South Chicago as a model student, athlete, lifeguard and sailor. Jay demonstrated his early business ambitions working as a top selling paper-boy during the school year. He continued working in the railyards and on oil rigs during his summers. Seeking greater academic advancement, Jay left Chicago as a teenager to attend Phillips Academy Andover where he blossomed as a student and athlete. A vision of palm trees and sunny weather influenced his next life chapter. He moved to Palo Alto, California to attend Stanford University, earning both his bachelor's degree ('59) and master's degree ('60) in petroleum engineering. He graduated magna cum laude and with Phi Beta Kappa distinctions. Jay began to cultivate his work hard/play hard and "live life to the fullest" mantra in college, where he established many of his lifelong friends as a proud member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. Believing he might be having too much fun at Stanford, Jay went on to obtain an MBA from Harvard University, pleasing his father Joe who had grown up in Massachusetts.To maintain a spirit of fun and adventure after Harvard, Jay moved to Switzerland to write management case studies at the International Institute for Management Development, where he acquired a lifelong affection for fondues, raclette, and downhill skiing. Louis Pasteur said "chance favors only the prepared mind". Jay's significantly prepared mind, and perhaps some good luck, played out over a fifty year business career, during which he demonstrated his skills as a leader, deal maker and visionary. He spent a decade in New York and London with Standard Oil and Exxon before moving to Denver, Colorado for 17 years to tap into his entrepreneurial instincts with Hamilton Oil Company. In Houston, where Jay spent over a decade, he led the initial public offering and ultimately the sale of Tejas Gas Corporation. He also successfully grew and led ScissorTail Energy and Wyoming Refining and was a longtime member of the board of directors of Apache Corporation, Dresser Industries, Halliburton Company and Founders Asset Management. Following his career success, Jay pursued philanthropy to give back to his esteemed alma mater and his local communities in Denver and Vail, Colorado; Houston, Texas; and Punta Mita, Mexico. He was a generous supporter of energy innovation at Stanford University where he founded the Precourt Institute for Energy and of various initiatives at the Hoover Institution at Stanford. Additionally, he made a lasting impact on a myriad of causes in the Vail Valley, including: Vail Health, Eagle Valley Behavioral Health, Eagle Valley Land Trust, Walking Mountains School and the Vail Valley Foundation, among others. His family is proud to carry forward Jay's important and generous philanthropic legacy. Beyond his career interests, Jay was an avid fisherman, hunter, downhill skier and world traveler. Some of his favorite travel adventures included his three grandchildren. Many family memories were made traveling to Venice for Papa's 75th and to Kenya for Papa's 80th. The annual tradition of visiting Papa and Molly in Punta Mita, Mexico led to over 20 years of Thanksgiving dinners on the beach. Jay was married to Molly Precourt, for over 35 years, after meeting and falling in love on the ski slopes of Vail. He is survived by his wife Molly, his beloved children from his first marriage: Amanda and Anthony, his daughter-in-law Agatha, and his grandchildren Luke, Alex and Charlie. Jay's family and friends are comforted knowing Jay lived his life to the absolute fullest. His warmth, charisma, intellectual curiosity, sense of adventure, big laugh, ongoing guidance, and his love for competitive backgammon games will be missed by all. Jay will vividly live on in spirit through his children and grandchildren. Jay, we promise to keep aiming for excellence and remain as generous of heart as you were in this world. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Jay's honor to either: the "Precourt Healing Center" at Vail Health Behavioral Health; or the Eagle Valley Land Trust, both located in Vail. The family will have a private celebration of life to honor Jay's "joie de vivre".
