Worthington High Schools Alumni Club - Deceased Classmates
First Name
James Joseph
Maiden Name
Last Name
Kumler
Passing Date
2/10/2025
Class Attended
1982
High School
Worthington High School
James Joseph Kumler, affectionately known as Jay by those who knew him best, passed away on February 10, 2025. Born on February 1, 1964, Jay was an adventurous spirit who found joy in music, the outdoors and especially his family. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, a dedicated leader in the field of optics and photonics, and a man deeply committed to his faith. Jay grew up mostly in his birthplace of Columbus, OH, but also spent three formative years in Brussels, Belgium (a time later immortalized in the “Petey from Muskeety” stories he would tell to his children). Along with his father and brothers, Jay was active in the Boy Scouts of America, where he earned the rank of Eagle Scout and the nickname “Trailblazer” for the multi-day hikes and canoe trips he would lead. Jay’s love for the outdoors never dimmed, though he was not a wilderness canoe guide forever, he made summers in Montana a Kumler family tradition. In his professional life, Jay was a pillar of the optics and photonics industry. He designed optical systems for United Technologies and Bell Laboratories prior to founding Coastal Optical Systems in 1991, which he led for ten years before the company was acquired by Jenoptik, a global technology group operating in the photonics market, where Jay last served as President of JENOPTIK North America. With nearly 40 years of experience in optics and photonics, Jay published 20 technical papers, book chapters and patents. He regularly spoke on photonics and was passionate about advancing the industry. Jay was especially proud of his contributions to the Hubble Telescope, Perseverance Mars Rover, and the X Taara wireless internet terminal, which was named a Time Magazine “Best Invention of 2024.” Jay was an SPIE Fellow, served on the SPIE board of directors and was a founding sponsor of the SPIE Startup Challenge. He also served on the Advisory Board of the Luminate Accelerator and loved to mentor younger optical engineers and entrepreneurs. Renowned for these achievements, Jay was still best known by his colleagues and employees for his honorable leadership, generosity and trustworthiness. He took mentorship seriously and took pride in giving people their first opportunities in the field. Amid all these accomplishments, Jay had some fun at work too: He organized many pick-up basketball games and participated in the office fantasy football league. Jay met his beloved wife Tammy in French class at Miami University in 1982. They were only eighteen when their love story began. Married on September 24, 1988, they built a life filled with love, laughter, and lots of shared adventures. Jay and Tammy traveled the world together. From the shores of Greece to the city streets of Istanbul, their love grew deeper with every city they visited. Jay and Tammy had over 40 beautiful years together. Jay was a dedicated father to Josh and Steph and a doting grandfather to Cara and Terry Jay, his namesake. While his kids grew up, Jay wore many different hats including a basketball coach, a youth group leader, a late-night ice cream confidant and so much more. Even as hard as he worked, he could always be found on the sidelines at Steph’s games, the audience of Josh’s shows, and the dinner table for family meals. Jay took time to dream big with his kids at various crossroads in their life, always instilling the values of generosity and service in his fatherly advice. Jay’s love extended deeply to Carlee and Meredith Kumler, his favorite daughters-in-law. Jay’s love for his family was truly evident in everything he did, from attending Dolphins games and updating the family group chat with selfies, to supporting local musicians with Tammy and always reading (and re-reading) his grandchildren their favorite books (including one he wrote). Jay was a member of Family Church, formerly Palm Beach Community Church, for over 35 years. Jay not only claimed his faith but lived it out daily, embodying Micah 6:8 by acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with his God. Jay is survived by his wife Tamara; his son, Joshua (Carlee) Kumler; his daughter, Steph (Meredith) Kumler; his mother, Kathryn Kumler; two grandchildren, Cara Joy and Terry Jay; his sister, Karen Freeman; and his brothers, Joe and Michael (Laura) Kumler. He was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Kumler.
