Elef (Jay) Medina Sanchez

September 9, 1964 - June 9, 2022

Elef (Jay) M. Sanchez was a Downey resident for 20 years. He was the only child of the union between Elef T. Sanchez and Antonia Medina. Jay was born in Los Angeles on September 9, 1964. He attended Dominguez High School in Compton, and proved to be an excellent baseball player. He was recruited by the Kansas City Royals as a potential pitcher. Unfortunately, an injury during summer training sent him home. During a visit to the hospital, requiring x-rays, he was inspired to become an X-ray technologist, a career he pursued and was successful at for over 30 years. In 1991, during a chance meeting at a dance club, he met a girl, who eventually would become his wife. On April 30,1994, he began his new life as a married man. Purchasing a home in Hollydale, they blissfully settled in, traveling and getting to know each other. They traveled to Hawaii, Mexico, France, Italy, and Switzerland. In 2001, he welcomed the birth of his son Michael. With the prospect of a growing family, they moved to Downey in 2002. The birth of his daughter Sophia followed in 2003. He devoted his life to his family. His personal hobbies included rebuilding cars. He purchased a 1950 Chevy Fleetline, restoring it from a rat infested non functioning vehicle to a head turning showcase car with the help of members from his car club, Vintage Bombs.

Always one to to play a joke and cause a laugh, Jay is survived by his wife, Cathy; son Michael; daughter Sophia; mother Antonia; stepfather Richard, brother A.J.; in-laws Arturo and Luz Maria Gonzalez; sisters and brothers in-law; several uncles and aunts, beloved cousins, nieces and nephews; and many friends.

Jay was preceded in death by his father Elef T. Sanchez. Jay’s love will be forever missed by those who knew him and were touched by the impact of his life.