OBITUARY
BORN in Queanbeyan on November 15, 1987 as the second of four sons to Deanne and Colin, Jay Lasscock was remembered on Tuesday as a larrikin at heart who loved three things: footy, friends and family above all else.
Younger brother to Cy, Jay’s family relocated to the country following the births of younger siblings Kyle and Brady to give the four boys more space to play. Jay would often cause mischief around the house and when outside, would catch scorpions with his brothers which they would sell at school for 50c each.
While at St Gregory’s Primary School, Jay proved a bright student to whom learning came easily but which at times led to boredom and further mischief in the classroom.
From an early age, Jay showed an interest in Aussie Rules and rugby league, signing up with both the Queanbeyan Blues and the Queanbeyan Tigers as a youngster. But it was at the Blues where he would go on to play the majority of his football.
Jay would go on to Karabar High where he made friends easily and showed a talent for Italian. Upon graduating from Karabar, Jay began to take rugby league more seriously as part of Erindale College’s Talented Sports Program.
The teenager was part of the school’s formidable Arrive Alive Cup side and was already training as part of the Canberra Raiders development squad.
In 2003 he was included in the ACT representative team and in the same year, played in grand finals in both Aussie Rules and rugby league on the same weekend.
In 2005, Jay was a part of the Canberra Raiders SG Ball side that produced a remarkable late-season surge to claim grand final glory after scraping into the finals in eighth on the ladder.
It was also while attending Erindale that Jay would meet his future wife, Samantha. In June of 2006, the young couple welcomed their first child Cooper into the world.
Although money was tight, Cooper never lacked for the best of everything whether clothes, toys or most importantly, loving and devoted parents.
In 2008, a playing opportunity with Queensland Cup side Souths Logan saw the family relocate north of the border but Jay’s NRL dreams stalled and he, Sam and Cooper returned to Queanbeyan after a few months.
It was also in 2008 the couple’s second child, Mia was born. After returning to Queanbeyan, Jay was soon back playing for the Blues, helping guide the side to the premiership that year.
Off the field, Jay was a highly regarded employee at Country Energy where he was always the first man to pull on his boots whenever a call came in, regardless of the time, day or night.
Earlier this year saw the birth of Jay and Sam’s third child Harper. Jay was immensely proud in his role as a dad and was rarely seen without his kids. Jay was a popular member of the Queanbeyan community and will be sadly missed by all who knew him.