Mr. Joseph Story Fay died Monday last of paralysis at his son's home on Beacon street, Huston. He was born in Cambridgeport, Dec. 8, 1812. His father, Samuel Prescott Phillips Fay, was graduated at Harvard College in 1798. Joseph Story was one of his classmates, and Mr. Fay's son was named after Mr. Story. For many years, Mr. Fay was a merchant in Savannah, Ga., but for the most of the later years of his life, he was a resident of Wood's Holl in the summer, living at other times in Boston, on Mr. Vernon street.
He was author of a monograph on "The Track of the Norseman." Mr. Fay was much interested in forestry, and was a member of the American Forestry Congress. He had several hundred acres of poor land on his estate, which he believed would make a profitable site for a forest. He planted one hundred acres with pine seed, and grew it successfully. In 1885 the Forestry Congress visited his estate at Woods Holl and remarked concerning his success in an account written of the visit for records of the congress.
His wife died in 1887 at the age of seventy-four. His son, Joseph Story Fay, Jr., is a merchant in Boston, and resides on Commonwealth avenue. The other son, Henry Howard Fay, resides on Beacon street. His father lived with him for some time. Fay House, the main building of Radcliffe College, at Cambridge, was named for the old estate on which it is situated.
Mr. Fay cultivated rare and beautiful exotics, roses, pansies, and other flowers, and strawberries. He was always a contributor to the horticultural exhibits of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and the recipent [sic] of ninny premiums and diplomas from the society. He was one of the most liberal and charitable of men, and was a benefactor of the Home for Little Wanderers, the St. Luke's Home for Convalescents, The Episcopal Church Home, and ever, responded liberally to any public subscription for the poor and needy at home or abroad.
The funeral was held from Christ Church Wednesday morning. Rev. H. I. Gamble, pastor of the church, preached the funeral sermon, and he was assisted in the services by Revv. Dr. Ketchum of St. Paul's Church, Boston, and Rev. Mr. Marriott of Wood's Holl. There were no pallbearers. The ushers were F.C. Foster, W.E. Stowe, J.S. Bigelow, F. Apthorp and ? H. Ham.
