Elias James Bundy of Mount Olive, known by most as Jay, passed away early Sunday morning, January 16, 2022.

Jay graduated with honors from Southern Wayne High School in 1974. He graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1978 with a degree in business administration from the Kenan Flagler Business School He was a member of the Phi Beta Lambda honor society.

Jay was an Eagle Scout and a member of the Order of the Arrows. Jay’s work ethic began on the family farm at an early age. He worked on the farm through high school and every summer through college. After graduating from UNC, he came back to Mount Olive to help his Dad run the farm. He won the Outstanding Young Farmer Award.

He started working at Eastern Aluminum Supply Company in 1984. The business grew from one branch to ten under his leadership as Vice President and General Manager. He was very well known in the building industry and was featured in the Goldsboro News-Argus as Outstanding Business Person. He won the Distinguished Service Award for Mount Olive, and was the first, second generation winner of the award.

Jay enjoyed life and lived it to the fullest. He loved sports and participated in tennis, golf, water skiing, snow skiing, bike riding, boating, and scuba diving. He enjoyed riding motorcycles and he especially loved his “little piece of heaven” at Topsail Beach.

Jay was an avid “Tar Heel” fan. He was a lifetime member of the Ram’s Club and enjoyed attending football and basketball games.

Jay was the son of the late E. J. Bundy, Sr. and Josephine Price Bundy. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Susan Smith Bundy; his sister, Mary Jo Bundy Lambert of Mount Olive; nephew, Jim Lambert and wife, Courtney, of Mount Olive; niece, Jeni L. Clingan and husband, Scott, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla; great-nieces and nephews, Ella James and Olivia Gray Lambert, and Bowman, Wilhelm, Hutch, and Viola Clingan. Jay is also survived by a brother-in-law, Raymond L. “Corky” Smith of Wallace; a sister-in-law, Judy T. Smith of Surf City; nieces, Trudy Smith Solomon and husband, Mark, of Surf City, and Tracy Smith Moore of Wallace; great-nieces and nephews, Wesley, Caroline, and Aubrey Solomon, and Henry Elliott and Piper Moore.

A graveside service will be held Wednesday, January 19, at 1:00 p.m. at the Martin-Price Cemetery, Highway 55 West, Mount Olive. Those attending are asked to wear a facial covering and to practice social distancing.

The family sends a special thank you to all the people who have been a part of Jay’s care; all the employees at Countryside Village in Pikeville, and Community Health and Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration for Research. To donate by mail, send to AFTD attn.: Research, 2700 Horizon Drive, Suite 120, King of Prussia, Penn. 19406; or on-line at www.theaftd.org.

A Tyndall Service of Mount Olive.