Jay Barnabas Parker was born just after midnight on August 3, 1990, in his parents' rental home in Pasadena, California. He was the second of five children, and the only boy.

Jay was homeschooled from kindergarten through high school. He developed extra-curricular interests like Boy Scouts, violin, acting, archery, and sewing. While he was in high school he helped draft the entire family into volunteering at the Renaissance Faire, where he could use his costuming and acting skills, and practice swordsmanship. He later attended Pasadena City College.

In January 2009, Jay met Amanda in a winter inter-session drama class. They were both immediately smitten. Their first date was an English Country Dance, just before Valentines' Day. They decided right away that they wanted to get married. They did get married in November 10, 2012. They have three children, Abigail, David, and Marissa.

The family moved to Virginia in the fall of 2021. Jay put his love for clothing to good use by landing a full-time job at Men's Wearhouse. Later he got a job at Grainger. This job had consistent hours and enabled him to have more time with their children. He also got more active with the Knights of Columbus, which he had joined in Altadena some years before.

In July 2025, he was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer, but they weren't sure what kind of cancer it was. They went to the City of Hope in Newnan, Georgia, where he received surgery on his neck, because the cancer had damaged the stability of the neck. He went through several rounds of chemotherapy. It turned out that the cancer had been growing too long and the chemotherapy began too late. It helped but then he suddenly took a turn for the worse, and died the morning of Dec 19, 2025.

Jay is survived by his beloved wife Amanda, his three children, Abigail 15, David 6, and Marissa 5, both his parents, Jay and Mary Parker, his four sisters, Mary, Laura, Teresa, and Elizabeth, two grandmothers, numerous uncles, aunts, and cousins.