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09/15/2023 07:14 AMCharlotte M. Jay, mother of Amy J. Barry of Stony Creek, Branford, died peacefully under Hospice care on Sept. 8, 2023, at HarborChase of Branford. In addition to Amy, she is survived by her son-in-law, Tim Barry; grandchildren, Aaron Wetjen-Barry, Ryan Wetjen-Barry, Benjamin Jay, and Hillary Jay; great-granddaughter Jocelyn Jay Wetjen-Barry; brother Richard Masia; and six nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, Herbert Jay; son, Adam Jay; and brother, Bertram Masia.
Born on May 22, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York, Charlotte enjoyed a childhood filled with family all living in the neighborhood, riding in the rumble seat of her fun-loving Uncle Max’s Model-T, summer days with friends on Coney Island, and train rides into Manhattan for matinees and museums.
Charlotte graduated from Parsons School of Design and went on to a career as an interior designer. As a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers, she won many awards. Her homes reflected her remarkable sense of design and style, as did her outfits that showed off her beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair.
Charlotte met her husband Herbert, an advertising executive, on a dude ranch in the Catskills in 1949. They married six months later, raising their children in Irvington-on-Hudson, New York. They moved to Weston in 1972 when they opened an Ethan Allen Furniture Store in Norwalk—where Charlotte was head of the design department. They later moved to Westport and then to Branford in 2010.
When her kids were older, tired of her tried-and-true recipes, she studied Chinese cooking under master chef Florence Lin at the China Institute in Manhattan, becoming a highly skilled Chinese cook.
In her later years, Charlotte cultivated her love of watercolor painting and took many classes to improve her technique, including at the Branford Senior Center.
A wonderful mom and Grammy, as her grandchildren called her, Charlotte always showed up and showed her love for her family.
Charitable donations in Charlotte’s memory can be made to VNA Community Hospice (vnacommunityhospice.org), Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter (www.branford-ct.gov/departments/animal-shelter), and The Wetjen Music Memorial, Inc. (for more information email amyjaybarry@gmail.com)