Jay H. Calvert Jr., retired attorney, former Zoo board chair, and civic leader, has died at 78
He was an animal lover, conservationist, and lifelong outdoorsman. ‘I will do my best to be just like him,’ a grandson said.
Jay H. Calvert Jr., 78, of Bryn Mawr, retired managing partner at the law firm of Morgan Lewis, former chair of the board at the Philadelphia Zoo, longtime civic leader, and outdoorsman, died Saturday, Sept. 2, of a heart attack at his home in Wolfeboro, N.H.
Known as Jerry to family and friends, Mr. Calvert joined Morgan, Lewis and Bockius, now Morgan Lewis, in Philadelphia fresh out of the University of Virginia School of Law in 1970. He became partner in 1978 and served in significant leadership positions until his retirement in 2015.
His work ethic and professional enthusiasm were highlighted from 1988 to 1993 as the global firm’s first full-time managing partner. He was also managing partner of the Philadelphia office, member of the executive committee and governing board, and global leader of the litigation group.
He was popular with colleagues and a mentor to countless young lawyers, and his family said: “His impact on the success and direction of the firm is lasting.”
Mr. Calvert spent much of his youth roaming around his grandparents’ farm in Indiana, and he remained fascinated by animals and wide-open spaces for the rest of his life. He became a board member of the Philadelphia Zoo in 1992, was board chairman from 2008 to 2015, and bought his own farm in New Hampshire.
He won the zoo’s 2015 Conservation Impact Award and championed innovations such as its new animal trails, interactive maps for visitors, enhanced educational programs for children, and improved parking. In 2014, he shared stories with The Inquirer of people who told him of their experiences in the zoo’s iconic hot-air balloon.
“We were extremely touched by how much the Philadelphia Zoo and the 6ABC ZooBalloon has meant to so many,” he said. Most of all, he liked to introduce family and friends to his favorite zoo animal, Tony the rhinoceros.
Mr. Calvert visited ranches and farms in Wyoming, Utah, and elsewhere to stay close to the land. He was former vice president of the board for the Livestock Conservancy, a member of the Men’s Garden Club of Philadelphia, and colleagues at Morgan Lewis gifted him a live Irish Dexter cow at his retirement.
He was one-time president of the board of trustees for the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and former chairman of the steering committee of the Sunday Breakfast Club leadership group. He was a trustee of the Keasbey Memorial Foundation and on the board of the Wentworth Watershed Association in New Hampshire.
“He taught us that hard work paid off, that a good education was important, and that commitment to community left a lasting impact,” said his daughter Emily Calvert Goodling. His daughter Sarah Calvert Lartey said: “He worked tirelessly to provide us with the ability to say yes to every opportunity that came our way.”
Jay Hamilton Calvert Jr. was born March 19, 1945, in Charleston, S.C., and earned a bachelor’s degree in American studies at Amherst College in Massachusetts in 1967. He played football at Amherst and was a member of its 1967 undefeated lacrosse team. He went on to graduate from law school in 1970 and was active with its law review and Reserve Officer Training Corps.
He met Ann Eberly, a student at nearby Smith College, on a blind date at Amherst. They married in 1969, had daughters Amanda, Emily, and Sarah, and lived in Wayne and Bryn Mawr.
Mr. Calvert and his family visited their farm in New Hampshire often, and he enjoyed tending to the property’s rail fences and stone walls. He was an avid cyclist who rode his bike from his home to the office in Center City for years.
He was outgoing, enthusiastic, and funny. “He was an amazing listener,” said his daughter Amanda Calvert Feeks. “He would give anybody his attention, listen intently, and then give good advice.”
His grandchildren called him “a supporter, advisor, role model, grandfather, and everything in between.” They said: “He taught me that nothing is out of reach,” and “He was everything that I aspire to be.”
He received a double lung transplant at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in 2018, and it only reinforced his determination to be of service to others. “He focused on philanthropy,” his wife said, “because he wanted to make a difference.”
In addition to his wife and daughters, Mr. Calvert is survived by seven grandchildren and other relatives. A sister died earlier.
Services are to be held later.
Donations in his name may be made to the Philadelphia Zoo, Development Dept., 3400 W. Girard Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19104; and the Penn Transplant House Guest Endowment Fund, 3535 Market St., Suite 750, Philadelphia, Pa. 19104.