Funeral services for Walter Johnson "Jay" Luther, Jr., 47, of Nashville, formerly of Dickson, will be conducted Friday June 22, 2012 at 11 a.m. from the chapel of Taylor Funeral Home with the Rev. Bill Barger officiating.

For those desiring, memorials may be made to the Rheumatoid Arthritis Foundation, Humane Society, Heart Association, or American Cancer Society. Place of rest will be in the Luther Family Cemetery.

Services under the direction of the Taylor Funeral Home.

Jay, chef and co-owner of Germantown Café and Germantown East in Nashville, died suddenly June 18, 2012.

Born in Dickson County, he was the son of Norma Manley Luther and the late Walter Luther. Jay had a great love for cooking. He began working for his dad's service station when he was age 5. He especially loved going on the wrecker calls because they would stop and get pancakes. When he was growing up all he could cook was a bacon and cheese sandwich and later grew to be a most talented culinary artist. He attended Belmont University in Nashville and while attending school he began working in the restaurant business. After Belmont he moved to New York, New Orleans and then to Atlanta, where he worked as kitchen manager at The Pleasant Peasant. After that he moved back to Nashville and opened the Germantown Café and later Germantown East, both very popular eateries.

Jay was a loving son, brother, uncle, nephew and prankster. He didn't worry about being politically correct, but he would always do the right thing. He was very protective of his recipes. His family would tease him that they were going to steal his recipes and sell them on Ebay. Once he made banana bread on Channel 4. His mom, also a great cook, made the recipe like he made on TV, but for some strange reason it did not turn out as good as his and she inquired about it and he said "Well, I MIGHT have left something out."

Jay had a great love for his family and friends. At Christmas, he would usually bring in one huge box with everyone's gifts in it. His family would have to sort out and find each of their gifts; usually it was something practical and the same for all. One year he gave everyone matching blue coats that they called "Smurf" coats. A prankster he was. He had a blue rubber shark that he would hide all over the house for his mother to find. Once Jay and friends wanted to go to Florida for spring break. They were only allowed to go if big sister Debbie would go along for chaperone. When his niece, Morgan, was about to go on her first date, Jay was adamant that she should not be allowed to go. He loved life and all that it had to offer. He will be missed so much by his family and friends.

Survivors include his mother Norma Manley Luther of Dickson; his sisters, Edna Faye Luther of Dickson, Debbie Ruf and her husband Peter of Dickson, and Kim Bartels and her husband, Brad of Nashville; his nieces and nephews Trey, Whitney, Morgan and Brayden; special aunts Linda Griffin and Louise Bowker; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.