Philip Henry "Jay" Barenz, a retired educator, died May 12, 2025, at Sanford Hospital Ava's House in Sioux Falls, SD. He was 80 years old.

Memorial service will be at 1:00 pm on Thursday, May 29 at Miller Funeral Home Downtown, 507 S. Main Ave., Sioux Falls, SD with the family present one hour prior to the service to greet friends. Burial will be at South Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Sioux Falls, SD.

Jay Barenz was born May 17, 1944, in Indianapolis, IN, to Harold and Lillian (Wohlfit) Barenz. Jay was raised in Massapequa, NY. In 1962 Jay enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he began his military service at "8th and I". After deployment on Mediterranean and Caribbean cruises Jay served as a weapons instructor at Quantico, VA. He was Honorably Discharged in 1966 and returned home. Before entering college, he worked various jobs and played semi-professional lacrosse.

In 1967 Jay traveled across the country to Vermillion, SD to attend the University of South Dakota where he earned a BA in Physical Education and Recreation and a Masters in Education. He worked as the Director of Physical Education and Recreation as the Auburn Correctional Facility in upstate New York.

Following the death of his first wife, Jay moved to Ft. Lauderdale, FL, where he was a teacher and administrator in the Broward County Public School System. It was here Jay met Susan Coats. Both worked as educators and school administrators until retirement. On August 18, 2001 Jay and Susan married in the Black Hills of South Dakota and relocated to Sioux Falls.

Jay was a farrier and blacksmith. He enjoyed fly fishing and pheasant hunting. He was a great dancer, a fair singer, and was outstanding at playing spoons to country western music. He was a motorcycle enthusiast who loved the open road on his Victory motorcycle never missing the Sturgis Rally with great friends.

However, his greatest passion was teaching and connecting with young people. He taught at Edison Middle School and Lincoln High School before retiring from the Sioux Falls Public School District in 2015. Even in semi-retirement Jay substituted in the Harrisburg, SD School District where he was known as Mr. B.: a protector, storyteller, always wearing a cowboy hat and boots. His career ended January of 2025 when he was diagnosed with leukemia.

Grateful for having shared Jay's life are his wife Susan; his brother, Harold Barenz of CT; his sister, Kim Duffy of NY; nieces and nephews Jennifer, Jeffrey, Thomas, Kaitlyn, Lily, Anna and John Ryan, and his beloved Jack Russell Terriers, Chopper and Lizzy. Jay was preceded in death by his parents, Lillian and Harold Barenz, and his first wife, Karen Madel.

Memorials may be directed to South Dakota Make-A-Wish Foundation at https://wish.org/sdmt

or St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital at https://www.stjude.org/donate